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The World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year to spread global health awareness. Whether you are a student learning something new every day or a professional ruling the industry, a full-time mom or the family’s primary source of income, your heart is at the core of your lifestyle and it is imperative you take care of it.

The underlying theme of this World Health Day is “Health for All”. While everyone like to have a healthy lifestyle and mostly all are aware of the ways to achieve it, one only realizes how difficult it is to follow all those practices in the practical world. With deadlines at work, dining outs, late nights, and early mornings it’s easy to miss out on your health.

While there is no alternative to a healthy lifestyle, that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and a proper work-life balance, an insurance plan only ensures a peace of mind, knowing that in case of a medical emergency, one is financially prepared. According to WHO, even today, at least half the world does not have access to essential services because treatment to diseases become inaccessible due to the inability to afford the expenses.

At Aviva, we feel it's never too late to begin. The purpose of heart care insurance plan is to help you meet expenses for hospital care because as medical treatment progresses, health care costs also increase. Heart care insurance policy protects you and your family financially in an event of an unexpected serious heart ailment, which could be very expensive and detrimental, particularly if you are the primary wage-earner. In addition, you are more likely to get routine and preventive care if you have heart care insurance coverage making a healthy lifestyle easily accessible to all.

India has a distinction of being known as the heart disease capital of the world and Indians are genetically predisposed to develop heart diseases. This coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and stress only makes us even more prone to heart ailments which make a huge dent in their pockets due to rising health care costs. With the fast-paced life, incessant pressures of work and family responsibilities, on this World Health Day, gift yourself a heart care insurance cover, an ultimate gesture towards a healthy lifestyle. This is where Aviva Heart Care plan provides coverage against 19 mild, moderate, and severe cardiovascular conditions, and procedures and allows lump-sum pay-out irrespective of the cost of treatment. The policy has also options to restore policy benefits once the basic sum assured is exhausted for severe category conditions.

Aviva Life Insurance is committed to helping people lead a healthy life. Aviva Life Insurance have conceptualized – 'Aviva Heart Care' – to help people achieve their healthy heart goals, and also encourage them to make health a priority for themselves and their spouses. And with the right planning and coverage, you can have a positive impact on your family and secure your financial future.

People are striving towards getting fitter, but what’s lacking is financial preparedness for medical emergencies. Cases of serious ailments such as cardiac related diseases can burn a large hole in your pocket. How about insuring your heart and ensuring a peace of mind knowing that your spouse and your heart is well protected and taken care of, this World Health day?
Key Highlights:

Busting myths about diagnostics

Dr Ruchi Gupta

"Fiction is written with reality and reality is written with fiction. We can write fiction because there is reality and we can write reality because there is fiction; everything we consider today to be myth and legend,

"Thinking in mythological terms helps to put you in accord with the inevitables of this vale of tears. You learn to recognize the positive values in what appear to be the negative moments and aspects of your life. The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure." - Joseph Campbell

The kind of people I have come across, most of them have a perception that many problems or health issues are age related and there is no need to undergo any tests as of now. For instance, orthopedic problems are often understood as an old age problem, but with the kind of lifestyle we are living – sedentary lifestyle, long hours of sitting, poor diet, excessive stress, many people are diagnosed with cervical problems, lower back ache and other rheumatoid conditions. Such conditions among youngsters in the age group of 25-32 are on a rise with good percentage.

People in the age group of 25 + to 35 years have a common misconception that even diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol are not common in this age group. But upon conducting all the tests, all the levels were abnormal and are totally unacceptable by them at all.

There are many things that may not show any symptoms while in early stages and if you go for a diagnosis only when the symptoms are prominent then the time wasted will prevent timely diagnosis in treatment. This is where preventive care is beneficial and everyone should go for frequent checkups as we do not know what our body behaves like. It is not mandatory that if you are lean, your cholesterol levels may be normal.

"Myths have a way of bringing what is unconscious to the surface and putting a face on what we cannot see."

"At its best, fantasy rewards the reader with a sense of wonder about what lies within the heart of the commonplace world. The greatest tales are told over and over, in many ways, through centuries. Fantasy changes with the changing times, and yet it is still the oldest kind of tale in the world, for it began once upon a time, and we haven't heard the end of it yet."
- Patricia A. McKillip

MYTH 1 - Blood tests are for unhealthy people and I don't need them. They don't mean anything and the levels are inaccurate.

Fact - There are many things that may not show any symptoms while in early stages and if you go for a diagnosis, only then the symptoms are prominent. Frequent checkups provide the body behaviour and a preventive care. Many people with such myth get flawed when they undergo blood tests. The results would indicate deficiency far outside the healthy range. Regarding the accuracy of the results, many believe that the results are not correct as they think nothing is wrong about their lifestyle or diet. But the fact is that these blood tests accurately shows clinical disease as well as indicates an idea of where your health is trending over the tested period. Regular tests can be a very effective tool for monitoring health for preventive reasons.

Myth 2 – Many illness or conditions like diabetes, thyroid or cholesterol are for the elderly.

Fact - People in the age group of 25 + to 35 years have a common misconception that even diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol are not common in this age group. But upon conducting the tests, all the levels were abnormal. The results were totally unacceptable by them. With changes in the living habits like sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary intake, excess office stress etc, people have become less immune to diseases, irrespective of the age factor, even the younger generation has started acquiring such conditions.

Myth 3 – Do not eat sugar one night before the diabetes check up for normal results.

Fact - Diabetes is a gradually developing process and it has nothing to do with rise in blood sugar levels if you consume sweet before the test. The test results will only indicate high glucose levels in the blood if one is actually having any disturbances in the sugar levels. It should be noted that people with a family history of diabetes must have this checkup on regular basis, as the risk for getting the conditions are high. When the condition is genetically passed on, then even if you don't eat sweets can also have adverse effects on the blood sugar levels. Regular diabetic screening will only help in knowing the trend of the blood sugar levels, in order to keep a check for preventive care.

Myth 4 – Kids under the age have a good diet, no stress, no sedentary lifestyle so they cannot be deficient in Vitamin D.

Fact - Vitamin deficiency is one of the most common problems and is not age related. Over 80-90 % of the people are Vitamin D deficient that also include kids under the age of 5. One should understand that these problems may not be age related but can happen with anyone. We also tend to believe that by providing enough balanced diet like milk, curd, calcium and other related supplements and minerals etc., deficiency cannot happen. But we tend to forget the fact that vitamin D deficiency has very little to with dietary intake. Many factors influence its deficiency like living style, place you live at, the kind of atmosphere one is in etc. Similar is the case with kids under the age of 5 years, where the adulterated environment can cause such deficiencies. Thus it is equally essential to get the required tests at such tender age also.

Fact – Though it is true that certain imaging methods like X-ray, CT scan, catheterization and mammography involves radiation, but other methods like Ultrasound and MRI scans are radiation free. In case of pregnant women, it is advisable not to undergo abdominal scan during the first trimester when the fetal organs are still developing as the radiations can be harmful. But in emergency conditions, scans can be performed by taking necessary precautions. The thing is that the abdomen should be completely protected with lead apron and chest X-rays can be done freely. Depending on the situation and symptoms, quality labs and practitioners will suggest the best possible ways of diagnosis.

Myth 6 - All Radiologic diagnostics are with radiations, and are dangerous for health.

Fact – Not all radiologic machines work upon the principle of radiations like MRI and Ultrasound. But due to the fact that they may be a bit time taking procedures in cases where instant diagnosis is required the speed of reaction is very less. Only in such cases other equipments like X-ray comes into picture. The physician obeys all the rules to ensure patient safety and avoid unnecessary scans or prefers radiation free scanning or with the least possible dose. Getting radiologic diagnosis once in a while doesn't affect any organ of the body.

Healthcare awards given away for outstanding work

PUNE , DECEMBER 25 : Renowned, talented and reputed health professionals and organizations from India were awarded for their outstanding work in their respective fields in the second edition of the Indian Health Professionals Awards 2017 organized by Pune-based International Research Organization for Life & Health Sciences (IROLHS) held in Delhi on December 23rd.

The second edition of the Indian Health Professionals Awards 2017 organized by Pune-based International Research Organization for Life & Health Sciences (IROLHS), Smile Nation in association with Green Park Dental received an overwhelming response. More than 250 doctors were rewarded from 25 states of India at the hands of sports legend former Indian sprinter Padma Shri Milkha Singh. The event was held in Delhi at The Venetain- Castles & Banquets, Rajouri Graden.

The second edition of the Indian Health Professionals Awards 2017 organized by Pune-based International Research Organization for Life & Health Sciences (IROLHS), Smile Nation in association with Green Park Dental received an overwhelming response. More than 250 doctors were rewarded from 25 states of India at the hands of sports legend former Indian sprinter Padma Shri Milkha Singh. The event was held in Delhi at The Venetain- Castles & Banquets, Rajouri Graden.

The mega initiative witnessed get together of the who's who of the healthcare sector in one place to discuss, network on issues that are so pertinent to this Industry.

The discussion highlighted the issue related to securing India's health concerns. The event witnessed leaders from private and government organizations, policy makers, representatives from the government and key people from sector affiliates, all assemble to recognize and applaud the achievements of the best healt care providers.

Speaking about the initiative Dr. Swapnil Sunil Bumb, Founder & CEO, IROLHS and the stalwart behind the initiative said, "We are thrilled with the response that we received for the second edition of the awards. It is a matter of great pride that the award is growing from strength to strength every passing year. I strongly feel that such awards can definitely boost the outstanding contribution of the healthcare professionals for the betterment of society and health education. It is with this perspective IROLHS & Smile Nation come together to hostIndian Health Professionals Awards. We strongly feel The Indian Health Professionals Awards can become an exchange of idea forum where the stakeholders from the healthcare sector can discuss, deliberate and put forth their solutions to the issues plaguing the healthcare industry."

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 22 :
It is only adoption of the latest technological advances in the field of ophthalmology, which can lead to a reduction in the blindness
load of India, feel the top ophthalmologists of the country and abroad. It
is with a mission to tackle this burning problem, amplified by the significant Urban-Rural divide in India, that the who's who of international and national ophthalmology have got together at the Annual Conference of Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society (IIRSI) being held in New Delhi on 23rd and 24th September, 2017.

"With 11.2 per cent of the Indian population suffering from preventable blindness, and India contributing one out of every 3 cases of blindness to the world, this is an issue which needs to be tackled on a war footing. With about 2 million cases added every year, it is no surprise that the economic and social burden of this preventable deluge is a drag on the holistic development of the nation, let alone the quality of life of those affected." saysPadmashri awardee Dr Mahipal S Sachdev, Chairman of the scientific committee of IIRSI and the CMD of Centre for Sight: one of the
largest chain of eye centres in India.

The meeting, to be inaugurated by Mr Anil Baijal, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, will have about 300 talks by experts in various fields of ophthalmology spread over two days and a Surgical Skill Transfer Session aimed at sharing ways and techniques to improve surgical outcomes in
Ophthalmic procedures.

"The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Here to attend the Annual Conference of Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society (IIRSI), these ophthalmologists plan to indulge in several brain storming sessions on how to make the latest cutting-edge technology available to the masses. The meeting will be attended by Dr Amar Agarwal, the Secretary General of IIRSI. Dr Gaurav Luthra, the president of IIRSI and a leading practitioner of Dehradun will also take part in the deliberations.

This meeting is unique as it is also being attended by top functionaries of the Ophthalmic manufacturing industry, led by Mr Tom Frinzi, Global head(Surgical), Johnson & Johnson. The industry and the ophthalmologists hope to find a common meeting ground so as to reduce the cost of technology, mutually cooperate to impart training on the latest machines and cater to the vast rural population of India.

"The earlier we realize that technological penetration to the last person in the remotest village of this country is the only way to eradicate preventable blindness from this country, the better. "added Dr Sachdev.

In his views, adoption of the latest methodology in treatment of ophthalmic disorders not only leads to faster recovery, saving man days and putting the afflicted back to his job early, but it also helps increase the number of sight restoring procedures that can be performed in the given time.

The
real challenge lies in making this technology available at the grass root level, and training ophthalmologists and technicians in the peripheral hospitals to embrace this technology.

The Annual conference of IIRSI, with a faculty of more than 250 National and International experts in ophthalmology and about 1200 delegates from India and abroad expected to attend, offers a forum for pushing this agenda and coordinating efforts towards its implementation.

A group of ten young children from Uganda – including one boy and nine girls – suffering from congenital heart disease have successfully undergone open-heart surgery at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (Amrita Hospital) and are ready to return home next week, all hale and hearty. The patients have been brought to India under Rotary International's 'Gift of Life' program which provides free treatment to child heart patients from economically disadvantaged families in low and middle income countries from around the world.

The children including two infants aged 6 and 9 months, were previously screened by pediatric cardiologists from Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA, and identified as suitable candidates for surgery. When the mother of nine-month-old Beth Amutuhaire, struggling for life due to a critical congenital heart disease, was approached by Rotary International in Uganda offering free open-heart surgery in India, she refused initially, as she had already been cheated twice of her hard-earned money due to false promises. The parents of two-year-old Atoo Rescurter were fighting against social prejudices of their own community elders, who were asking them to leave the child to her fate to suffer. Similar was the case of six-year-old Benson Muheki whose parents were told that her heart problem could never be fixed.

Their parents were heart-broken and had lost all hope." The Rotary Club, Cochin Knights, came forward to coordinate the project locally, in partnership with the Piravom Pampakuda River Valley Club. Vipin Nadakkal and his team received the children and parents at midnight at the Kochi international airport and escorted them to Amrita Hospital.

"Facilities for critical open-heart surgery for young children are almost non-existent in Africa. The parents of these 10 children, with almost the same stories and speaking different dialects from various regions of Uganda, were persuaded by Rotary International to travel to Kochi for surgery.
Dr. AC Peter, National Coordinator, Gift of Life (India), Rotary International

Said Dr PK Brijesh, the heart surgeon from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences who performed the surgeries: "While the parents were expecting only cardiac surgery, we at Amrita Hospital went a step further and treated many children for other ailments too while rectifying their congenital heart disease. We realized that the patients will not get a second chance to visit a hospital and no one will treat them for those problems, if we did not do so at present. So not only was eye-sight restored for the two-year-old Christine Namalwa, but Mariam Biira was also cured of a condition called Exomphalos in which the bowel and liver protrude outside the abdominal cavity. Thanks to motherly care extended by Amrita hospital and Rotary Clubs, the Ugandan parents and children, who landed at Kochi with apprehension, have already picked up several Malayalam words, mingling with the hospital staff. They feel they are at home away from home, and in safe hands. The state-of-the–art infrastructure at Amrita Hospital, together with the dedication of its medical and support staff, has enabled successful surgery of all the patients from Africa at a fraction of the cost that would be charged at hospitals in Europe or America."

The life-long scars on the chest of the Ugandan children will remain as a testimony to the warm hospitality and love of people of Kerala for their brethren from Africa.

(L-R)Mr Nitin Gadkari, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, Mr Ratan Tata and Mr Devendra Fadnavis along with project implementation partners at the inauguration of the radiodiagnostic facility at the National Cancer Institute in Nagpur

NCI is a unique CSR initiative that would provide world class Oncology treatment facilities at affordable rates to the general public of Central India. The Institute will have state of the art facilities for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancers. Being the medical hub of central India, Nagpur has been selected to setup the NCI. The NCI will be 455 bedded quaternary care oncology center. The project is slated for completion in the year 2018.

"Why should I have been surprised? Hunters walk the forest without a sound. The hunter, strapped to his rifle, the fox on his feet of silk, the serpent on his empire of muscles— all move in a stillness, hungry, careful, intent. Just as the cancer entered the forest of my body, without a sound."
Kristi Bruno
Mary Oliver

ONGC has extended support to the project through its CSR Trust - ONGC Foundation. Dr. Aabaji Thatte Seva Aur Anusandhan Sanstha is the implementing partner for the project. An agreement was signed between ONGC Foundation and Dr. Aabaji Thatte Seva Aur Anusandhan Sanstha on 22.05.2017.

The total cost of the project is Rs 565.20 crore. Out of ONGC's support of Rs 100 crore, Rs 50 crore shall be used for procurement of medical equipment for radio diagnostic facilities (like MRI, Citi scan, ultrasound, Mammography, X-ray and Bone Marrow Densito meter) to be setup on the ground floor of the Institute. The balance Rs 50 Crore shall be used for construction of first floor, having the OPD chambers, and the second floor having economy ward. ONGC has released a sum of Rs 30 crore as 1st instalment towards the project.

Addressing the gathering Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said that the institute will be one of the most modern and largest of its kind and provide quality cancer care at affordable cost.
Mr Piyush Goyal, in his address said "I'm sure the National Cancer Institute will get world-class fame and serve the people of Nagpur and Vidarbha belt".

Speaking on the occasion Mr Devendra Fadnavis said that the mission and thought behind this institute is to make available the best treatment in the world at lowest cost to help masses.
The center will provide comprehensive cancer treatment, patient care and research through sustainable charity. In addition to providing general cancer care, the institute will also create specialty groups of highly skilled professionals who will be master in treatment of select group of cancers. The institute also plans to start University recognized training courses for nurses, paramedical staff and medical fraternity including super specialty training in Oncology and PhD programs.

The primary beneficiaries of the project will be Cancer patients belonging to Central India referred by Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and Cancer patients identified by the NGOs & local physicians in the 500 km radius of Nagpur. 1st phase facilities shall help about 1500 – 2000 cancer patients per month.

Minister of Medical Education & Water resources, Govt. of Maharashtra and Minister for Energy, New & Renewable Energy & Guardian Minister of Nagpur District along with Dignitaries from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai along with CEOs / MDs of various Corporates and Mr D D Misra, Director (HR), ONGC also graced the event.

"Whenever I see an ambulance, I like to think there is a baby being born, rather than a death."
― Phil Lester

The social welfare initiative is a part of Emaar India's Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) wing EMCARE (Emaar Community of Aware and Responsible Employees) that believes in 'Welfare for All'. The company conducted the health camp in association with Max India Foundation and a team of specialized doctors from Max Hospital, Gurugram.

More than 200 labourers from the Imperial Gardens project site attended the camp, including females, wherein general health examination along with free distribution of medicines to them was undertaken. Emaar India has partnered with Max India Foundation to organize periodic health check up camps along with distribution of medicines for more than 12,000 construction labourers working at its various project sites across India.

In addition to general health check-ups for blood pressure, blood sugar, joints & bones strength, nutrition & vitamins level, etc, the labourers were also given health awareness session conducted by the doctors with regards to lifestyle diseases, timely diagnosis and preventive measures to be adopted for a healthy life.

"Care to join me, Goodfellow?"
"Oh, ice-boy. A moonlight stroll with you? Do you even have to ask?"
― Julie Kagawa, The Lost Prince

Zebra Medical Vision has been a pioneer in the development and commercialization of deep learning imaging analytics solutions, and since 2015 has released clinical applications that automatically identify liver, lung, bone and cardiovascular disease, as well as breast cancer and intra-cranial bleeding.

AI's deep learning capabilities enable reading and diagnosis of medical images with reduced human intervention and would assist radiologists to prioritize studies and provide faster point of care to patients even in remote parts of India. AI algorithms will help in detecting overlooked indications and in providing insights which assist in building a synergistic preventative care program. This means improved outcomes and enhanced care delivery for patients and possibly reduced costs of treatment.

AI empowers radiologists to enhance their value and become more involved in patient care management, thereby making radiology an even more integral part of healthcare in India and abroad.

"Zebra's mission has always been to make radiology more accessible and affordable globally," addedElad Benjamin, Co-Founder and CEO of Zebra. "Our partnership with TRS will help us to bridge the growing gap between demand and supply of radiology services, and allow developing healthcare economies to make a leap in their quality of care by using state-of-the-art deep learning technology."

Zebra's capabilities would enable radiologists to prioritize studies and provide faster point of care to patients. It will also enable deep analytics on large data to unlock clinical value for diagnostics in radiology.

• The campaign will thank doctors for their selfless acts by helping them take a day off from their hectic schedule.
• The campaign started on 30th June 2017 at various HCAH partner hospitals across Delhi and Punjab.
• The HCAH initiative raises awareness about the overburdened schedules of doctors and the importance of downtime for them.
• The campaign encourages patients to abstain from disturbing their doctors for unnecessary reasons.

Doctors are healers. They give hope to many and to some a new lease of life. But what most of us tend to forget is that doctors are also humans. Long working hours, sacrificing family life and personal interests are all inevitable in a doctor's life. They shoulder enormous responsibilities daily and are still expected to do more. Doctors often advise us to take rest to restore our health. Isn't it time we ask them to try their own medicine for a change?

To celebrate the contributions of this noble profession in a special way, HealthCare atHOME (HCAH) has launched the '#DoctorsDayOff' campaign starting from 30thJune 2017. This unique drive will kick off in various HCAH partner hospitals across Delhi and Punjab.

As part of the campaign, posters in the form of Do Not Disturb door knobs will be hung on the doors of the doctors' chambers in hospitals. These creatively designed door knobs have compelling messages like, "Every doctor needs a family-time. One day a week, I won't disturb, I promise".
In addition, Facebook and Twitter profiles of HCAH will use the hashtag #DoctorsDayOff to spread awareness about the importance of the campaign.

"We wantedto show our gratitude to doctors by helping them take some time off for themselves. Physicians and surgeons not only make themselves available to their patients 24x7, but also have to constantly engage in academic learning to keep themselves abreast of the latest medical developments. This leaves them with hardly any time for themselves or their families. They deserve a break more than anyone else." says Vivek Srivastava, CEO & Co-founder, HealthCare atHOME (HCAH).

Dr. Gaurav Thukral, Senior Vice-President and Business Unit Director, HCAH "A medical career is both rewarding and highly demanding however studies have shown that all around the world about 80 per cent of doctors don't take sick leaves for illnesses for which they otherwise recommend patients to stay home. As a doctor, our sole aim is the well-being of our patients. To achieve that on a day-to-day basis takes enormous amount of dedication and professionalism. When you see, you're making a difference in someone's life, all the sacrifices seem worth it. But doctors do tend to overstretch themselves doing their duties. Therefore, we feel that the 'Doctors Day Off' campaign will be much appreciated by the medical fraternity. As doctors, we can provide the best for our patients only when we ourselves are at our own best."

The expectations from doctors are extremely high. If a person in another profession is unwell, he will take a sick leave from work to visit a doctor. But if a doctor is unwell, there is very little chance that he will do the same. Apart from making sure that patients are not caused any inconvenience, doctors hardly ever take days off so as to not disrupt the schedule of the hospitals and put the extra burden of patients on another already overworked colleague.

While doctors have infinite patience and stamina, they too suffer the risk of a burnout. This can have serious consequences on their health causing both physical and emotional exhaustion. Therefore, it's time we understood that just like us, doctors too require some downtime to unwind. For any emergency, we can be rest assured a doctor will be there to provide medical assistance. But we should also learn to withhold from calling on them for every trivial matter.

HCAH's '#DoctorsDayOff'campaign, therefore, raises this critical but less voiced issue. Our indomitable doctors will never stay down on their own, so it's also up to the patients to ensure that they appreciate their physicians by allowing them to take some personal time off.

The campaign also urges people in general to log on to hcah.in/doctorsday/and take a pledge to support this initiative.

ONGC multi-speciality hospital Chaolung Sukaphaa dedicated to the people of Assam

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

Hospital

"Hospital waits are bad ones. The fact that they happen to pretty much all of us, sooner or later, doesn't make them any less hideous. They're always just a little too cold. It always smells just a little bit too sharp and clean. It's always quiet, so quiet that you can hear the fluorescent lights - another constant, those lights - humming. Pretty much everyone else there is in the same bad predicament you are, and there isn't much in the way of cheerful conversation. And there's always a clock in sight. The clock has superpowers. It always seems to move too slowly. Look up at it and it will tell you the time. Look up an hour and a half later, and it will tell you two minutes have gone by. Yet it somehow simultaneously has the ability to remind you of how short life is, to make you acutely aware of how little time someone you love might have remaining to them." - Jim Butcher, Small Favor

Untitled Document

"If you were a chief, you had to grab at a decision."
? William Golding, Lord of the Flies

Endorsing the vision of Prime Minister of 'building modern infrastructure in North-East' and to unlock its potential ONGC under its Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR) initiative is spearheading the multi-speciality hospital in the region. The hospital is dedicated to the people of Assam to ensure quality and affordable healthcare.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sarbananda Sonowal, said that the Government is committed to the development of Assam and exhorted the people of Assam to actively participate in the development mission of the Government.

He appreciated ONGC for considering the name of maker of unified Assam, Chaolung Sukaphaa, for the upcoming hospital.

Further, he assured the people of Assam that this hospital would be made suitable for medical and nursing college within two-three years of its establishment. In other towns of Assam, CSR funds of the oil companies will be used developing Nursing colleges.

What is coming for me next ?

"I was born in a hospital.
I do not want to die in one."
- J.R. Rim

"The truly patient man neither complains of his hard lot nor desires to be pitied by others. He speaks of his sufferings in a natural, true, and sincere way, without murmuring, complaining, or exaggerating them."
- Francis de Sales

Sharing the vision 2030 of the Prime Minister,Mr Pradhan said the PM has reiterated that there would be no development of India without the development of North-East.

He said that the Government is not going to restrict itself to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology and ONGC's Multi-specialty Hospital, it has several schemes for NE to realize its natural resource potential and train the youth for national development.

Mr Dinesh K Sarraf, speaking on the occasion said, "ONGC is committed to improve the health index of Assam and especially Sibsagar. The upcoming multi-specialty hospital to be built by ONGC under CSR in association with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidhyakia Prathisthan at a cost of Rs 313 crore in Sibsagar is one such initiative of the company. Further, he explained the functionality of the upcoming hospital.

"This not-for-profit hospital will offer services at a price which is 70 percent less than the market price and will train the local people in medical services. This is the largest CSR initiative of ONGC till date", he added. He thanked the people of Assam for cooperating with ONGC in its exploration and production activities in the region.

It is envisaged that within two-years, ONGC would be making Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Pulmonary Medicine, Ophthalmology, ENT, Orthopaedic, and Gynaecology & Obstetrics, an operational blood bank and dialysis facility affordable and accessible.

"The so-called 'psychotically depressed' person who tries to kill herself doesn't do so out of quote 'hopelessness' or any abstract conviction that life's assets and debits do not square. And surely not because death seems suddenly appealing. The person in whom Its invisible agony reaches a certain unendurable level will kill herself the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise. Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window just checking out the view; i.e. the fear of falling remains a constant. The variable here is the other terror, the fire's flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It's not desiring the fall; it's terror of the flames. And yet nobody down on the sidewalk, looking up and yelling 'Don't!' and 'Hang on!', can understand the jump. Not really. You'd have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling."
- David Foster Wallace

Cooking

Dr Karthikeyan Pshychiatriate Meenakshi Mission Hospital

Blame it on the stressors of modern life --- pressure at work, marital conflicts, interpersonal conflicts, social pressures, economic burden, competition for resources and rising aspirations --- the incidence of depression has risen like a scourge, and at least every one in three persons suffers an episode of depression at least once in their lifetime.

Clinical estimates are often less, as several patients stay hidden because a silent majority do not seek treatment due to multiple factors like lack of awareness, stigma about mental illness, lack of access or availability of mental health resources.

Depression is an illness that can happen to anyone from a school-going child to a college student, from a middle-aged housewife, working women or man in his/her forties to elderly men and women. Depression transcends socio economic boundaries, it can occur among the poor, rich, middleclass, employed or unemployed alike.

Depression is a disorder of the mind characterised by sad mood, loss of interest, decreased concentration, lack of sleep or excess sleep, loss of appetite or increased appetite, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, decreased self-esteem and sometimes, the desire to be dead or suicidal instincts.

"Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression."

"I didn't want my picture taken because I was going to cry. I didn't know why I was going to cry, but I knew that if anybody spoke to me or looked at me too closely the tears would fly out of my eyes and the sobs would fly out of my throat and I'd cry for a week. I could feel the tears brimming and sloshing in me like water in a glass that is unsteady and too full."
- Sylvia Plath

"Some people are just not meant to be in this world. It's just too much for them."

"I don't want to see anyone. I lie in the bedroom with the curtains drawn and nothingness washing over me like a sluggish wave. Whatever is happening to me is my own fault. I have done something wrong, something so huge I can't even see it, something that's drowning me. I am inadequate and stupid, without worth. I might as well be dead."
- Margaret Atwood, CAT'S EYE.

"Its so hard to talk when you want to kill yourself. That's above and beyond everything else, and it's not a mental complaint-it's a physical thing, like it's physically hard to open your mouth and make the words come out. They don't come out smooth and in conjunction with your brain the way normal people's words do; they come out in chunks as if from a crushed-ice dispenser; you stumble on them as they gather behind your lower lip. So you just keep quiet."
- Ned Vizzini, It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's not all bad

"It's not all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, apartness, an inability to join in, physical shame and self-loathing—they are not all bad. Those devils have been my angels. Without them I would never have disappeared into language, literature, the mind, laughter and all the mad intensities that made and unmade me."
- Stephen Fry, Moab Is My Washpot

Q. How long does it take to improve the condition of a depressed person?
Most often two weeks and utmost six weeks

All public and private health care agencies should make concerted and focussed effort to reach out to every individual of the society making him or her aware of the true biopsychosocial nature of depressive illness and dispelling the social stigma about it and providing knowledge and access to health care providers in both public and private sector who can cure it effectively and make him feel better.

"That's the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it's impossible to ever see the end."
― Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation

Private organisations and corporates should develop fund to support persons with disabilities: Ramdas Athawale

4% reservation in jobs be implemented in every department

Disability

"I will crawl upon my knees just to know the joy of suffering."

"Another myth that is firmly upheld is that disabled people are dependent and non-disabled people are independent. No one is actually independent. This is a myth perpetuated by disablism and driven by capitalism - we are all actually interdependent. Chances are, disabled or not, you don't grow all of your food. Chances are, you didn't build the car, bike, wheelchair, subway, shoes, or bus that transports you. Chances are you didn't construct your home. Chances are you didn't sew your clothing (or make the fabric and thread used to sew it). The difference between the needs that many disabled people have and the needs of people who are not labelled as disabled is that non-disabled people have had their dependencies normalized. The world has been built to accommodate certain needs and call the people who need those things independent, while other needs are considered exceptional. Each of us relies on others every day. We all rely on one another for support, resources, and to meet our needs. We are all interdependent. This interdependence is not weakness; rather, it is a part of our humanity."
- A.J. Withers

Disability

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21 : "Sometimes, it is true, a sense of isolation enfolds me like a cold mist as I sit alone and wait at life's shut gate. Beyond there is light, and music, and sweet companionship; but I may not enter. Fate, silent, pitiless, bars the way…Silence sits immense upon my soul. Then comes hope with a smile and whispers, 'there is joy is self-forgetfulness.' So I try to make the light in others' eyes my sun, the music in others; ears my symphony, the smile on others' lips my happiness."
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

He also said that it is the responsibility of both the government and the corporate sector to work in tandem to help and support people with disabilities by providing them vocational training to become self sufficient as they too are a part of the society.

He also said that reservation in vacancies in government jobs which had been enhanced from three per cent to four per cent in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill - 2016, should be implemented in every sector.

On the occasion the Union Minister also released an ASSOCHAM-CBM India Trust joint study titled 'Mainstreaming through affordable ICT.'

The study stressed upon the need for development of affordable, effective and readily available information, communication technologies (ICTs) and assistive technologies in order to further empower the specially-abled people for creating an inclusive and power society.

"Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it." -Kevyn Aucoin

Before you examine the body of a patient,
Be patient to learn his story.
For once you learn his story,
You will also come to know
His body.

Before you diagnose any sickness,
Make sure there is no sickness in the mind or heart.
For the emotions in a man's moon or sun,
Can point to the sickness in
Any one of his other parts.

Before you treat a man with a condition,
Know that not all cures can heal all people.
For the chemistry that works on one patient,
May not work for the next,
Because even medicine has its own
Conditions.

Before asserting a prognosis on any patient,
Always be objective and never subjective.
For telling a man that he will win the treasure of life,
But then later discovering that he will lose,
Will harm him more than by telling him
That he may lose,
But then he wins.

THE MAXIMS OF MEDICINE by Suzy Kassem"
- Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

A systemic disease

PANCHKULA, MARCH 02 : As spring approaches, there is obvious relief from the freezing winters and cold-related conditions such as joint pain. However, changing temperatures and environmental conditions tend to increase the risk of allergies and infections, particularly among newborn babies and pregnant women.

Doctors at Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula are advocating greater caution for newborn babies and pregnant women as the weather shifts towards warmer climes. Both would-be-mothers and infants have low immunity levels and this makes them more vulnerable to health problems associated with seasonal change. Not only does seasonal change make pregnant women more vulnerable to infections, it can also aggravate both physical and emotional health issues.

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"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."
- John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

"That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the West,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire
Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long."
- William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnets

Elaborating on the subject, Dr Monica Agarwal, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula says: "As the weather changes, it brings about a complete change in the environmental conditions. When it comes to women, hormonal and physical changes due to pregnancy mostly result in somewhat complicated implications within their bodies. Seasonal change can directly or indirectly pose physical discomfort during the months of pregnancy as the weather frequently and randomly shifts from being hot and humid to wet and cool and so on".

"Heat and humidity combined can take a toll on the overall well-being of pregnant women. In fact, some women may already possess a certain degree of heat intolerance, causing them rashes or cramps. Not only that, it can also lead to headaches, dizziness, early exhaustion, depression, mood swings and overall deterioration of emotional health (termed as seasonal affective disorder)," adds Dr Monica Agarwal, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula.

"I swear, gentlemen, that to be too conscious is an illness - a real thorough-going illness."- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, White Nights, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, and Selections from The House of the Dead

"no disease suffered by a live man can be known, for every living person has his own peculiarities and always has his own peculiar, personal, novel, complicated disease, unknown to medicine -- not a disease of the lungs, liver, skin, heart, nerves, and so on mentioned in medical books, but a disease consisting of one of the innumerable combinations of the maladies of those organs. This simple thought could not occur to the doctors (as it cannot occur to a wizard that he is unable to work his charms) because the business of their lives was to cure, and they received money for it and had spent the best years of their lives on that business. But above all that thought was kept out of their minds by the fact that they saw they were really useful [...] Their usefulness did not depend on making the patient swallow substances for the most part harmful (the harm was scarcely perceptible because they were given in small doses) but they were useful, necessary, and indispensable because they satisfied a mental need of the invalid and those who loved her -- and that is why there are, and always will be, pseudo-healers, wise women, homoeopaths, and allopaths. They satisfied that eternal human need for hope of relief, for sympathy, and that something should be done, which is felt by those who are suffering."- Leo Tolstoy

"When we are told what is healthy we are being told what is right to think and feel. When we are told what is mentally ill we are being told what ideas, behaviour, and fantasies are wrong. [...] The avenues of escape are blocked by the professioal abuse of pathologizing. To refuse the mental health approach confirms one's 'sickness'. One needs 'therapy', [...]
How can we take back therapy [...] from a system which must find illness in order to promote health and which, in order to increase the range of its helping, is obliged to extend the area of sickness. Ever deeper pockets of pathology to be analyzed, ever earlier traumata: primal, prenatal, into my astral body; ever more people into the ritual: the family, the office force, community mental health, analysis for everyone. [...]
Its practice may differ [...] but the premise is the same. The work of making soul requires professional help. Soul-making has become restricted by therapy and to therapy. And psychopathology has become restricted to therapy's negative definition of it, reduced to its role in the therapy game."
- James Hillman, Re-Visioning Psychology

"We are often given pills or fluids to help remedy illness, yet little has been taught to us about the power of smell to do the exact same thing. It is known that the scent of fresh rosemary increases memory, but this cure for memory loss is not divulged by doctors to help the elderly. I also know that the most effective use of the blue lotus flower is not from its dilution with wine or tea – but from its scent. To really maximize the positive effects of the blue lily (or the pink lotus), it must be sniffed within minutes of plucking. This is why it is frequently shown being sniffed by my ancient ancestors on the walls of temples and on papyrus. Even countries across the Orient share the same imagery. The sacred lotus not only creates a relaxing sensation of euphoria, and increases vibrations of the heart, but also triggers genetic memory - and good memory with an awakened heart ushers wisdom."
- Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

At the same time, pregnancy induces changes in a woman's immune system. To be precise, it lowers the body's immune defenses to ensure that the uterus doesn't reject the fetus as a 'foreign body'. While this lowered immunity is absolutely necessary, it makes a would-be-mother vulnerable to catching infections such as common cold and cough.

In fact, flu can have serious consequences on the health of both the mother and the baby. Changes in the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy make pregnant women more prone to severe illness from flu. In some cases, this can also have detrimental effect on the baby including premature labor and delivery. It is therefore extremely important to exercise caution and adopt high standards of hygiene during pregnancy. Getting a flu shot is also recommended.

The seasonal transition period also provides a fertile ground for infants to fall sick, mostly due to sudden dramatic fluctuations in their body's internal temperature, exposure to infections and lack of resistance.

"If you have a newborn baby at home, you must exercise greater caution during this time of the year, especially if this is his/her first time encounter with the season change. The new set of bacteria and viruses that thrive during this period can trigger various diseases and infections among the newborns. As they are the ones yet to develop acquired immunity for many infections and tend to lose heat quickly, these infections can even turn out to life-threatening in some cases," says Dr Jyoti Chawla, Senior Consultant Paediatrics, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula.

Babies are highly susceptible to respiratory problems before the age of 6 months, so it is vital to take extra care in protecting them during the period of extreme sensitivity and not lower the guard all of a sudden, inform doctors.

"Climatic change patterns are difficult to adapt for the newborns, and more so if the surroundings are not healthy. Even as the weather starts warming up, do not lower the guard for your children and cover them up well in protective layers. Also remember that probably easiest way for babies to get sick is by catching the infection from an already infected person who maybe taking care of the kid. It becomes all the more important during the season change period to maintain hygienic habits around your little one to limit his/her exposure to microbes which can cause acute communicable diseases," adds Dr Dr Jyoti Chawla, Senior Consultant Paediatrics, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula.

Here are few tips which will help in easing into season change patterns conveniently:
For would-be-moms
• Wear lightweight cotton or linen clothes as these will allow good airflow. While going outdoors, you may wrap a cool and scarf around the neck.
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, even if you do not feel thirsty.
• Take a balanced diet, as advised by your doctor. Avoid junk food.
• Take help from family, friends or a support group to cope with emotional stress.
• Indulge yourself in swimming or low impact physical activity like aerobics. However, remember not to overdo it.
• Get a flu shot administered; also ensure high level of hygiene
For infants
• Keep them away from the contact of sick individuals.
• Parents and other caretakers must exercise a routine of hand washing with sanitizers before handling the infant.
• Stick to breastfeeding, unless otherwise advised by your doctor. Breast milk helps in building immunity in newborns.
• Dress up your kid in warm layers, especially if you are taking him/her out during the evening sunset.
• Figure out a time of the day when the newborn is less likely to feel cold and give him/her a warm water bath during that period.
• Consider using humidifiers or air purifiers indoors, if required.

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 20 : Big Pharma needs sick people to prosper. Patients, not healthy people, are their customers. If everybody was cured of a particular illness or disease, pharmaceutical companies would lose 100% of their profits on the products they sell for that ailment. What all this means is because modern medicine is so heavily intertwined with the financial profits culture, it's a sickness industry more than it is a health industry."

- James Morcan, The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy

But taking a contrarian view sick people need pharmaceutical industry to get themselves cured of ailments human beings are prone to suffer from.

Indian pharmaceuticals market is expected to touch US$ 55 billion by 2020 from the current level of US$ 36.7 billion in 2016 growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.92 per cent, according to ASSOCHAM-IITTM joint study.

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"Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity. "- Hippocrates

"We look for medicine to be an orderly field of knowledge and procedure. But it is not. It is an imperfect science, an enterprise of constantly changing knowledge, uncertain information, fallible individuals, and at the same time lives on the line. There is science in what we do, yes, but also habit, intuition, and sometimes plain old guessing. The gap between what we know and what we aim for persists. And this gap complicates everything we do."
- Atul Gawande, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

Let us be the ones who say we do not accept that a child dies every three seconds simply because he does not have the drugs you and I have. Let us be the ones to say we are not satisfied that your place of birth determines your right for life. Let us be outraged, let us be loud, let us be bold."

"The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it" - Maimonides

"The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm."
- Hippocrates

Indian pharmaceuticals market increased at a CAGR of 17.46 per cent during 2005-16 with the market increasing from US$ 6 billion in 2005 to US$ 36.7 billion in 2016. By 2020, India is likely to be among the top three pharmaceutical markets by incremental growth and sixth largest market globally in absolute size, noted the study titled 'Medical Value Travel (MVT),' jointly conducted by ASSOCHAM and research firm Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM).

According to joint report, Indian Health Care is expected to rise at a rate of CAGR of 29 per cent in 2015-20 to US $280 billion with rising income, greater health awareness, increased precedence of lifestyle diseases and improved access to insurance,

The year 2015 witnessed the growth of 140% of foreign tourist's arrival on medical visa from the year 2013, where more than 50, 000 people visited India on medical visa. This number rose to approx 1,34,000 in 2015. In fact, the number of foreign tourist's arrival on a medical attendant visa also doubled from 2013 to 2015, increasing from 42,000 odd in 2013 to more than 99,000 in 2015, adds the study.

The study reveals that in the first 6 months of 2016 alone, close to a lakh foreign tourists have arrived on a medical visa making it a very lucrative market. The top most countries availing medical visa were Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives, Republic of Korea and Nigeria.

The majority of the patients coming to India for treatment are from the Middle East, Africa, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives, Pakistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for its expertise in cardiac and orthopaedic procedures, in addition to other specialised areas like neuro-surgeries, cancer treatment and organ transplantation. India is also attracting medical tourists looking for the traditional system of medicine available in India, noted the study.

The ability to offer holistic medical services such as Unani, Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, and Homeopathic treatments (AYUSH) is also a huge attraction.

UL class change on li hover

"Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity. "
- Hippocrates

Let us be the ones who say we do not accept that a child dies every three seconds simply because he does not have the drugs you and I have. Let us be the ones to say we are not satisfied that your place of birth determines your right for life. Let us be outraged, let us be loud, let us be bold." - Brad Pitt

"Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?"
- George Carlin

There are less numbers of accredited hospitals in India. Thailand being a smaller nation has 55 JCI accredited medical facilities. Lack of enough accredited medical facilities decreases the supply potentials of India as a medical tourism hub. Though the cost of treatment in India is less but there is high cost of accommodation which creates a barrier for low income group patients. There is also lack of proper regulatory and review framework related to medical tourism giving way to many legal and ethical issues.

Many problems arise due to lack of synergy between various stakeholders. Stringent medical visa rules also create a barrier as it makes the process of entering in the country difficult. This issue is high on radar due to the influx of medical tourist from ISIS hit countries which creates huge security issue for India, highlighted the joint study.

The Government of India (GoI) has recognized the potential of medical tourism and has come up with supporting policies. The Indian Ministry of Tourism is actively promoting medical tourism through overseas road shows where market development assistance (MDA) is provided to medical and wellness tourism service providers to encourage overseas promotion. The government has introduced medical visa to govern medical tourism. In order to further expand the healthcare system and enhance its quality, the government also actively provides incentives and giving special approvals to foreign firms for direct investments.

India's cost of production is significantly lower than that of the US and almost half of that of Europe. It gives a competitive edge to India over others. Growing number of medical facilities are realizing the importance of accreditation and certification leading many labs and hospitals taking up accreditation and certification. This could increase the number of accredited facilities in India.

jQuery Effects - Fading

CANCER : "I'm not afraid of being dead. I'm just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there."

"We live in a universe devoted to the creation, and eradication, of awareness. Augustus Waters did not die after a lengthy battle with cancer. He died after a lengthy battle with human consciousness, a victim - as you will be - of the universe's need to make and unmake all that is possible." - John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

If you were to go, and hopefully someday you will, you would see a lot of paintings of dead people. You'd see Jesus on the cross, and you'd see a dude getting stabbed in the neck, and you'd see people dying at sea and in battle and a parade of martyrs. But Not. One. Single. Cancer. Kid. Nobody biting it from the plague or smallpox or yellow fever or whatever, because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of."
? John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

"We do have fairly high rates of screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer. I think that is having a very positive impact on mortality rates for those diseases.
- Elizabeth Ward

"For our cervical cancer vaccine we pursued the objective of inducing a strong immune response and protection that lasts. We are encouraged by a sustained enhanced antibody response we saw with an HPV vaccine formulated with our novel adjuvant.
Gary Dubin

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
? Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The Great Change is when humankind accepts its role as part of the natural order of the universe instead of its role as a cancer"
? Dan Simmons, The Fall of Hyperion

"Although often perceived as one disease, cancer is a number of diseases subsumed within one diagnostic label."
? Mary Burton Maggie Watson

The terms "Climacteria" in Latin, "Climacteric disease," "Change of life," "Critical time," "Turn of life," in English, "Temps critique," "Age de retour," "Ménopause," in French, and "Aufhören der Weiblichen Reinigung," in German, are understood to mean a certain period of time, beginning with those irregularities which precede the last appearance of the menstrual flow, and ending with the recovery of health. ~Edward John Tilt, The Change of Life in Health and Disease, 1870I will be replaced when you click.

"The women's health initiative standards for HRT is nothing but an embarrassment to all physicians, and I'm not sure why they have not retracted all the statements that came out of that joke of a study."
- Marie Hoag MBA

A systemic disease

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 11 :
The onset of menopause usually occurs around the age of 40, but some women may have those symptoms of irregular menstruation in their early 30’s. This is known as Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI).

Loss of libido, infertility, poor concentration and night sweats were felt by, Somya at the age of 38, along with menstrual irregularities for 8 months. These conditions were similar to menopause, but not the same, as she still had chances to conceive.

“We conducted a blood test to check her hormone levels and levels of estrogen (hormones responsible for fertility) were found to be low. High levels of Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) that generates estrogen and Luteinizing Hormone (which signals a mature follicle o release egg) was the reason for it.”

“Follicle dysfunction was the major reason for her missing periods and in capability to conceive. She was told for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which is usually a combination of an estrogen and a progestin which gives the body the estrogen and other hormones that the ovaries are not making. She started having regular periods again and her luteinizing hormone levels were found to be reduced, which indicated better ovulation.”

"In peri-menopause our brains are being rewired to live with more inner wisdom, to adapt to a more direct current (intuition); and we may experience insomnia, forgetfulness and depression. It takes a great deal of courage and faith to go through this change, and some women go through painful breakdowns before they are ready to relinquish the struggle for control."- The Wisdom of Menopause, Dr. Christiane Northrup

"Do not become alarmed when you experience yourself in totally new ways," sighs Grandmother Growth tenderly. "You are changing, getting ready to be initiated into the third stage of your life. Are you ready for the ride of your life? - Susun Weed, Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way

"All the emotional and psychological change of the peri-menopausal years are to the entire life cycle as the week before one's period is to the monthly cycle. All the issues that have been occurring pre-menstrually and which perhaps had been avoided till now- should I quit my job? Should I stay in this relationship – now come up and hit us between the eyes rather relentlessly, demanding that they be dealt with at this time." (Northrup, Wisdom of Menopause)"
- Staness Jonekos, The Menopause Makeover: The Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of Your Health and Beauty During Menopause

"In this culture we are told to set goals. We are supposed to know where we are going and then take specific steps to get there. But this is not always possible, or even wise. It is the male model of linear, rational thinking. But the life process of women…is more chaotic and disorderly, more circular and intuitive. Sometimes we can't see the next horizon until we step out of the old life. We don't yet know where we are going. We may not know the place until we arrive." - A Woman's Journey to God, Joan Borysenko

Cigarette smoking, pesticides and chemicals can speed up follicle depletion. Normally, a woman is born with 2 million primordial follicles (microscopic seeds which grow into follicles), which may get depleted or not function properly to cause POI. Some women are born with fewer primordial follicles, so they have a smaller pool of follicles to use throughout their lives. Even though only one mature follicle releases an egg each month, less mature follicles usually develop along with that mature follicle and egg. If these extra follicles are missing, the main follicle will not mature and release an egg properly.

Though the functions of a woman’s ovaries cannot be restored to normal but chances of getting pregnant can be increased. There are only 5 per cent chances for a woman (under the age of 40 years) with POI to get pregnant without medical intervention (‘Spontaneous Remission’; the ovaries may begin to function on their own, restoring fertility).

To restore the estrogen level, Hormone Replacement Therapy is useful along with IVF treatment for a woman to get pregnant after diagnosed for POI.

34 crore children to be dewormed on
National Deworming Day (Feb 10)

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

Gall bladder cancer

"I just like to catch fish, I don't care if it weighs half a pound or 10 pounds. But I can't do a lot of casting. I can work a jig or a worm. But not for long, especially if the big ones are biting. Those big bass will make it hurt after a while." - Terry Bradshaw

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NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 09 : "I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm. "- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Mr C K Mishra, Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, "Currently the largest single day, public health program in the world, the National Deworming Day this year is set to reach approximately 34 crore children in 34 states and union territories in government and government-aided schools, anganwadis, and private schools."

Preschool and school-based deworming programs are globally recognized as a "development best buy". Deworming with the safe and beneficial Albendazole 400 mg tablet is an effective solution to controlling worm infections. India has the highest burden of worm infections in the world, with the WHO estimating in 2014 that over 22 crore Indian children aged 1-14 years are at risk. Intestinal worm infections can act as a deterrent to children's growth and development, and can adversely impact performance in school, and livelihood potential later in life.

"The NDD is being implemented through the combined efforts of Department of School Education and Literacy under Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. All stakeholders are committed towards achievement of the National Deworming Day objectives, as reflected in the joint directives signed for the National Deworming Day program by the Secretaries of the MoHFW, MHRD and MWCD.

The Health secretary further informed that Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri JP Nadda has also sent letters to the Chief Ministries of all States/UTs and all members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for their assistance in key tasks related to the Deworming efforts for health and well-being of children" Shri Mishra stated.

In an effort to improve child health scenario of the country, National Deworming Day aims to reach every child, regardless of their socio-economic circumstance. Schools and anganwadis are ideal platforms for such a program, reaching children in their natural environment in a coordinated, cost-effective, and systematic way. In addition, through extensive awareness generation and community mobilization efforts at state, district, and community levels, children who are out of school, live in hard-to-reach areas, and are from vulnerable populations are also mobilized to be dewormed at anganwadis on National Deworming Day.

A coordinated effort is rolled out across the country with tablets, communication material, and reporting forms delivered to the very last school and anganwadi well in time. Officials and functionaries at all levels are trained, including teachers and anganwadi workers, who are pillars of the program. This results in lakhs of anganwadi workers and teachers, who are trusted by the community, administering the deworming tablet to crores of children on a single day across the country.

Deworming may have very few side effects and some children, especially those with high worm infections, might experience nausea, mild abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and fatigue. In line with the guidance from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, comprehensive adverse event protocols have been put in place.

Apart from being dewormed, maintaining healthy and hygienic practices will help children and communities remain safe from worm infections. National Deworming Day is conducted with technical assistance from WHO, National Centre for Disease Control and Evidence Action.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare envisions an open-defecation free India which holds the capacity to reduce the overall worm burden in a community. The efforts of Swach Bharat Abhiyan will further facilitate the progress and benefits of the National Deworming Day.

"The failure to accept cancer as a systemic disease is one of the greatest failures in modern medicine."
- Michael Lam, Beating Cancer with Natural Medicine

A systemic disease

Ask any 10 women in India whether they have ever undergone cervical cancer screening and about 9 of them would have not. Despite the readily available and convenient screening modalities in the form of Pap smear test or liquid based cytology that can help prevent cervical cancer or detect it in its asymptomatic stage, most women in India do not undergo regular cervical screening. As a result, an overwhelming number are diagnosed with the disease in an advanced or invasive stage, by when it becomes difficult to treat.

While cervical cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in women worldwide, it is also one of the easiest to prevent. However, lack of awareness about the disease, its causes, preventive measures as well as the need for screening makes it the leading cause of mortality due to cancer in women across the world. According to World Health Organization, more than 270,000 deaths are attributed to cervical cancer, with 85% occurring in developing countries like India. An estimated 132,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in India and 74,000 deaths are reported. India, therefore accounts for almost one third of the global cervical cancer deaths.

On a brighter note, most of these deaths can be prevented if cervical cancer screening becomes a norm in India, along with vaccination for sexually transmitted HPV virus that is the leading cause of cervical cancer.

Early cervical cancer has no symptoms

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women aged 15-44 years, affecting the cervix- the lower part of the uterus that connects it with the vagina. Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by sexually acquired infection of some strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
With the advent of an authentic, non-invasive and cost effective screening technique, the incidence of this cancer has decreased manifolds, especially in the western world where most countries have instituted large scale screening programs for this disease. However, in India thousands of women continue to die every year from cervical cancer, particularly in rural areas where it still causes greater mortality than breast cancer.

If you are experiencing any abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding, discomfort during sexual intercourse or general pelvic pain, make sure you consult your doctor immediately as these symptoms may be warning signs of cervical cancer. Other symptoms of the disease include loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, back pain, leg pain, swollen legs, bone fractures, and/or (rarely) leakage of urine or feces from the vagina. Bleeding after douching or after a pelvic examination is another common sign of cervical cancer.

Yet, in most cases cervical cancer does not present with any signs until it has spread well past the cervix to other parts of the body. The disease can be detected in pre-cancerous stage only through regular screening.

Cervical screening: The tests and guidelines

Cervical screening is the best way to detect cervical cancer at an early stage, and increases the rate of successful treatment.

Cervical cancer screening requires a doctor or a nurse who takes the exfoliated cells from the surface of the cervix and a pathologist who detects early changes of cancer, if present. Liquid based cytology (LBC) and PAP tests are the two main methods of cervical screening. Both these tests are non-invasive and essentially painless. These tests are important for disease prevention, as they help in detecting any abnormal cell growth in the cervix before it turns cancerous.

Screening is recommended for women between 21 and 65 years as majority of women diagnosed with cervical cancer are under 50 years of age; very few are over 65 years of age.
Details :

The guidelines:
• Cervical screening (PAP or LBC) should start at the age of 21 years and should be performed after every three years till the age of 65 years.
• It is discouraged before this age regardless of sexual initiation or other high risk factors.
• Women can also get a combined Human Papilloma virus (HPV) test and PAP test every 5 years starting at the age of 30 years.
• If any abnormality is detected, the testing should continue for 20 years from the time of detection.

HPV Vaccination

About 6.6 per cent of women are estimated to harbor cervical HPV infection at any given time. Almost 75 per cent of all sexually active adults are likely to be infected with at least one HPV type in their lifetime.

While a majority of the HPV infections resolve on their own, some of them turn cancerous. It takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems. It can take only 5 to 10 years in women with weakened immune systems, such as those with an untreated HIV infection.

There are currently 2 vaccines that protect against both HPV 16 and 18, known to cause at least 70 per cent of cervical cancers. Clinical trials have found these vaccines to be safe and effective in preventing infection with HPV 16 and 18. The vaccines must be administered before the first sexual activity. WHO recommends vaccination for girls aged 9-13 years as this is the most cost-effective public health measure against cervical cancer. If every female adheres to current HPV vaccination programs, cervical cancer rates will be reduced substantially.

However, HPV vaccination does not undo the need for cervical cancer screening, which is recommended for all women, even those who have undergone vaccination.

Treatment options vary according to the stage of the cancer and other clinical factors that include maintaining fertility and pregnancy.
• Early cervical cancer is treated by various surgical modalities that include cryosurgery, laser surgery, cold knife conization, loop electrosurgical excision procedure, and hysterectomy.
• If the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes and lymph vessels, a radical hysterectomy with the removal of pelvic lymph nodes is done.
• Advanced cancers require surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Various targeted drugs are also added to the chemotherapy regimen.

In life we always have some measure of control whether it be over our emotions or choices, but when it comes to cancer? The only thing you can control is how you respond to it

"

Gall bladder cancer most common digestive
cancer in women in India, say doctors

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

• Incidence of gall bladder cancer has shown a substantial increase in cities of North

"Almost all the world is natural chemicals, so it really makes you re-think everything. A cup of coffee is filled with chemicals. They've identified a thousand chemicals in a cup of coffee. But we only found 22 that have been tested in animal cancer tests out of this thousand. And of those, 17 are carcinogens. There are ten milligrams of known carcinogens in a cup of coffee and thats more carcinogens than you're likely to get from pesticide residues for a year!" - Bruce Ames

Untitled Document

NEW DELHI, DECEMBR 02 : "She had six months at most left to live. She had cancer, she hissed. A filthy growth eating her insides away. There was an operation, she'd been told. They took half your stomach out and fitted you up with a plastic bag. Better a semicolon than a full stop, some might say."
― Helen Hodgman, Jack and Jill

Have you been feeling an acute aching sensation on the upper right side of your tummy lately? Do you feel a loss of appetite for no apparent reason or are you experiencing problems with digestion? Do you eat too much of junk food or street food? You may be at risk of developing gall bladder cancer (GBC), a notoriously lethal malignancy of your digestive system?

Doctors at Venkateshwar Hospital, Delhi, say that gall bladder cancer is being increasingly diagnosed over the last decade in India especially in North and Eastern parts of India.

In India, GBC is most prevalent in the northern and northeastern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam. But what is probably more alarming is the fact that this disease is showing a strong link to the female gender. It is twice more common in women than in men. Until even 10 years ago GBC was a rare form of cancer in India. But presently, India registers 7- 9 cases per one lakh population. It is the commonest digestive system cancer in women in India.

"The gall bladder is a small pear-shaped organ located on the right side of abdomen below the liver. It helps in concentrating and storing digestive fluids. When the food consumed by us enters the small intestine, the gall bladder contracts and releases bile to help us to digest fats easily. Gall Bladder Cancer may present with abdominal pain or jaundice or only non specific symptoms such as an vague pain or discomfort in right upper abdomen" says Dr Anupam Saha Head of Dept of Gastro and Hepato- Pancreato- Biliary Surgery, Venkateshwar Hospital.

Gallstones are considered as important risk factor for gallbladder cancer. The prevalence of gallstones on Ultrasound examination was found to be 1.99 per cent in males and 5.59 per cent in females. Gallstones are often present in 60–90 per cent of patients with gall bladder cancer.

Chronic infection of the gall bladder also predisposes to the development of gall bladder cancer.

Besides gall bladder stones and infection, lifestyle factors are also considered risk factors for this disease. These include obesity, lack of fruits, vegetables and fiber in your diet, smoking and consumption of alcohol.

"Obesity is probably the most significant risk factor when it comes to women in urban areas. Obesity is linked with significant metabolic and hormone abnormalities within the intestine as well as increased risk of gallstones, which in turn, raises the risk of malignancy. On the other hand, if your diet is low in fiber, vegetables and fruits, you are again at the risk of gall bladder cancer," informs Dr Anupam Saha.

"Gall bladder cancer is very aggressive in nature and unfortunately many patients present to the hospital in advanced stages. The symptoms of Gall Bladder Cancer in initial stages may be non-specific with vague discomfort or pain over the right upper abdomen. Once the disease progresses to the advanced stage, jaundice or lump may be visible. When the disease is detected early, curative treatment of gall bladder cancer is possible. Curative treatments include surgical resection of the gall bladder along with part of the liver. In addition medications and radiotherapy may be advised," adds Dr Anupam Saha.

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The campaign will focus on increasing awareness about cancer, de-addiction and lethal effects of tobacco

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

Women empowerment

"In an essay titled A View From the Front Line, Jencks described her experience with cancer as like being woken up midflight on a jumbo jet and then thrown out with a parachute into a foreign landscape without a map:
"There you are, the future patient, quietly progressing with other passengers toward a distant destination when, astonishingly (Why me?) a large hole opens in the floor next to you. People in white coats appear, help you into a parachute and — no time to think — out you go.
"You descend. You hit the ground....But where is the enemy? What is the enemy? What is it up to?...No road. No compass. No map. No training. Is there something you should know and don't?
"The white coats are far, far away, strapping others into their parachutes. Occasionally they wave but, even if you ask them, they don't know the answers. They are up there in the Jumbo, involved with parachutes, not map-making."
? Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

Untitled Document

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 26 : "This is your war now.' I despised myself for the cheesy sentiment, but what else did I have?
'Some war,' he said dismissively. 'What am I at war with? My cancer. And what is my cancer? My cancer is me. The tumors are made of me. They're made of me as surely as my brain and my heart are made of me. It is a civil war, Hazel Graze, with a predetermined winner."
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

And so Ministry of State for Health and Family Welfare has spearheaded a cancer awareness initiative, 'Cancel Cancer' at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi.

The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Mr Faggan Singh Kulaste; Mr Naresh Kumar Tyagi, President, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Mrs S.K Hospital Employees Union; Mr Bishamber Dayal, General Secretary, Lady Hardinge Medical College and S.K Hospital Employees Union; Dr. A.P Maheshwari, IPS, A.D.G. BSF and the renowned doctors from Lady Hardinge Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital were present at the launch of the campaign in New Delhi to promote the cause.

The 360 degree event work has been conceptulised by Design Theka, BVM Design and Media House Pvt. Ltd., a creative led advertising agency based in Delhi. The initiative aims to focus on increasing awareness on various lethal effects of tobacco, causes of cancer and the measures taken to control it and with help of rich media will amplify engagement on digital platform to take the cause to the next level.

The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Mr Faggan Singh Kulaste at the launch of a cancer awareness initiative, 'Cancel Cancer' at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi.

According to a report released in the year 2013 by the Government of India, in India, the age of one in every five person addicted to tobacco is less than 21 years. The report also mentions that out of 2 crore homeless children in India, 40-70 per cent children come in contact with some or the other form of intoxication. There are many kids falling for some or the other kind of intoxication before the age of 5.

On the launch, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Mr Faggan Singh Kulaste said, "Today, tobacco and its products are easily available at cheaper rates at every nook and corner of our country. These are being consumed mainly by the youth specially the school going kids of the middle and poor class. The sale of tobacco has been banned in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. In Delhi, the ban on tobacco has been imposed many times but this is reflected only on papers."

He further adds, "The campaign aims at educating people against the hazards of tobacco that is the root cause of cancer. The government supports this cause. We should actively participate in this noble campaign and contribute in any way possible to bring about the necessary change."

Further, 34.6 per cent population of our country is consuming tobacco. Out of these, 47.9 per cent are males whereas 20.3 per cent are females. One in every 10 deaths is due to consumption of tobacco and by the year 2030, 80 lakh people would die because of high tobacco consumption.

For large scale penetration of the Indian healthcare market, affordability (approximately 70 %
of all healthcare expenditure is out of pocket) and accessibility are key considering that nearly 70 %
of India's population....

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 16 :
With lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare one of the major challenges impacting a large section of the Indian population, healthcare experts say India needs to adopt a twin approach of fostering public-private partnerships and promoting innovative solutions to significantly improve accessibility and delivery.

Varun Khanna, Managing Director - BD India
The BD India MD was speaking at a CII Panel on Universal Healthcare: Making it a reality

Speaking at a CII panel on 'Universal Healthcare – Stepping in the sun: Making it a reality', Varun Khanna, Managing Director - BD India said working in collaboration with innovative solutions and intelligent delivery designs are the way forward if India has to achieve its goal of 'healthcare for all'.

Private players

He said with almost two thirds of healthcare services in India being currently provided by the private sector, the government cannot achieve its goal without extensively engaging private players in its efforts to expand healthcare delivery to every part of the country.

BD is a leading global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of medical care through research and innovation.

"Indian healthcare system is plagued by extreme inequities. I believe that shared value can enhance competitiveness of any organization and also advance social and economic conditions in the communities in which it operates. We should understand the impact of working collaboratively across the healthcare ecosystem and bring a paradigm shift towards sustainable and transformational patient care for the future," said Khanna, while sharing the panel with esteemed representatives of hospitals, public health experts and health insurance providers. "

For large scale penetration of the Indian healthcare market, affordability (approximately 70 per cent of all healthcare expenditure is out of pocket) and accessibility are key considering that nearly 70 per cent of India's population lives in rural areas with no or limited access to healthcare. 65-70 per cent of the healthcare infrastructure and manpower is present in urban areas, while only ~30 per cent of the country's population lives in these regions.

ASSI Secretary Dr H S Chhabra said the reports in some media publications following the APMC order tend to send out a wrong message that Orthopedic Surgeons are not qualified to perform spine surgery.
Clarification comes in backdrop of media reports on an Andhra Pradesh Medical Council order suspending an orthopedic surgeon for alleged complications in a spine surgery

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

"We, as a leading body of spine surgeons in India would like to clarify that spine surgery can be carried out by Orthopaedic Surgeons or Neurosurgeons who are adequately trained in the same. Thus Orthopaedic surgeons are fully qualified to carry out Spine Surgery, and this matter was clarified by the Medical Council of India itself in a statement dated 29th November 2013. It would hence be incorrect to imply that an Orthopaedic surgeon is not qualified or permitted to carry out Spine Surgery, as incorrectly implied in some reports," says Dr H S Chhabra, who is also Chief of Spine Service & Medical Director at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi.

NEW DELHI, DEDEMBER 12 :
The Association of Spine Surgeons of India today underlined that adequately trained Orthopedic Surgeons or Neurosurgeons are fully qualified as well as permitted to perform spine surgery by the Medical Council of India.

The clarification by the umbrella body of spine surgeons of India came in a bid to correct confusion regarding this issue and misrepresentation in some sections of the media following the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council's (APMC's) action to suspend an Orthopedic Surgeon following alleged complications in a case of spine surgery conducted by him.

ASSI Secretary Dr H S Chhabra said the reports in some media publications following the APMC order tend to send out a wrong message that Orthopedic Surgeons are not qualified to perform spine surgery. This picture misrepresents or miscommunicates the medical guidelines regarding Orthopedic surgeons' ability to treat spine surgery cases.

The reports in some media publications following the APMC order tend to send out a wrong message that Orthopedic Surgeons are not qualified to perform spine surgery. This picture misrepresents or miscommunicates the medical guidelines regarding Orthopaedic surgeons' ability to treat spine surgery cases.

Thus orthopaedic surgeons are fully qualified to carry out Spine Surgery, and this matter was clarified by the Medical Council of India itself in a statement dated 29th November 2013. It would hence be incorrect to imply that an Orthopaedic surgeon is not qualified or permitted to carry out Spine Surgery, as incorrectly implied in some reports," says Dr H S Chhabra, who is also Chief of Spine Service & Medical Director at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi.

"We request the media to correct its representation of the case so that there s no misconception among patients and other regulatory bodies regarding Orthopedic experts ability to treat the spine and perform spine injuries," adds Dr Chhabra.

"We, as a leading body of spine surgeons in India would like to clarify that spine surgery can be carried out by Orthopaedic Surgeons or Neurosurgeons who are adequately trained in the same. Thus Orthopaedic surgeons are fully qualified to carry out Spine Surgery, and this matter was clarified by the Medical Council of India itself in a statement dated 29th November 2013. It would hence be incorrect to imply that an Orthopaedic surgeon is not qualified or permitted to carry out Spine Surgery, as incorrectly implied in some reports," says Dr. H S Chhabra, who is also Chief of Spine Service & Medical Director at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi.

The ASSI urged the media to clarify this matter as these reports have created unwarranted confusion in the minds of patients about the ability and legality of Orthopaedic Surgeons for
performing Spine Surgery.

The media reports pertain to a case involving an orthopedic surgeon who had been served an order to delist his name from the APMC for a period of one year on the charges of "impersonation and medical negligence". The Orthopedic Surgeon has since filed a writ petition in the AP High court and has been granted an interim stay.

"Till a few decades ago, orthopedics and neurosurgical fields were a part of general surgery and the same surgeon would perform abdominal, neurosurgical and orthopedic operations. However, at present the curriculum for training in orthopaedic and neurosurgery incorporates medical and surgical management of all spinal ailments and thus spine diseases continue to be effectively treated by orthopaedic surgeons as well as neurosurgeons.

"We request the media to correct its representation of the case so that there s no misconception among patients and other regulatory bodies regarding Orthopedic experts ability to treat the spine and perform spine injuries," adds Dr Chhabra.

ASSI is a registered association of super specialists in spine surgery in India. Its members are Orthopedic Surgeons as well as Neurosurgeons, with specific training and experience in Spine surgery. This being a dedicated association of spine surgeons, ensures high degree of updating of knowledge, experience, training and skills.

To dispel any confusion in the minds of the patients, doctors and the regulatory authorities, a clarification was sought by the association from the Medical Council of India in 2013, on the "eligibility of orthopaedic surgeons vis-à-vis neurosurgeons to perform spine surgery".

The 25th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the MCI on August 6 and 7 , 2013 held detailed discussions on the issue and decided that Orthopedicians may also provide for spinal care including surgery to the patients (copy of MCI letter in this regard enclosed).

Wellness industry projected to touch
Rs 150,000 cr by FY20: Report

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

"There are more than 9,000 billing codes for individual procedures and units of care. But there is not a single billing code for patient adherence or improvement, or for helping patients stay well."
? Clayton M. Christensen, The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care

It seems quite pointless to waste health relentlessly in order to earn money that we shall spend on recovering health."- Eraldo Banovac

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 09 :" Modern allopathic medicine is the only major science stuck in the pre-Einstein era."
- Charlotte Gerson, Healing the Gerson Way: Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases

Ad so health and wellness are crucial to any country especially a young demography like India, where 47% comprises of people below the age of 25. As this population enters the workforce, their wellness becomes a major growth driver for the economy. It is estimated that the increasing Non communicable diseases (NCD) burden will cost India close to US$ 5 trillion due to loss of productivity. This, coupled with the growing geriatric population, Indian healthcare desperately needs to shift its focus towards preventive
and promotive care.

FICCI in association with EY consulting released a report titled "Value Added Service –
Wellness and Preventive Healthcare", during the 9 th Annual Health Insurance Conference at
New Delhi. The report was released by Mr. T S Vijayan, Chairman, IRDAI in the presence of
renowned dignitaries from the insurance and healthcare sectors.

As per the report, major risks causing NCDs in India are tobacco, dietary risks, obesity, high
blood pressure and air pollution which potentially could be mitigated through focusing on
individual well-being and adopting appropriate preventive care.

Preventive and wellness care practices from across the globe have been put together and
analysed to draw learning's from an India perspective. The report also highlights local case
studies about wellness and healthcare start-ups such as Practo Technologies, Gympik and
Medibuddy Infiniti for insurers to galvanize the potential of preventive care market.

"Providers suggest that the major challenges for implementing wellness
initiatives in India is the lack of control over the fragmented ecosystem and the unorganized
regulatory guidelines that encompass the wellness and preventive care segment".

Ashish Mehrotra, MD & CEO, Max Bupa Health Insurance informed :

The report provides global best practices and a comprehensive understanding of the local market
opportunity with implementable recommendations for the insurers, government stakeholders and other entities of the ecosystem while focusing on individual well-being. Mr Mehrotra was also leading the FICCI task force on 'Value Added Service – Wellness and
Preventive Healthcare'

According to the report

The three major actionable that can empower the wellness and
preventive healthcare market in India are wellness incentives embedded innovative insurance
and healthcare products, wellness marketplace to support or drive the wellness benefits and
an organized and co-existing ecosystem.

Internationally, wellness is a necessary component to most insurance products. Innovative
products offering a large span of services is a common place in countries like UK, Singapore
and South Africa. In India, wellness has been included as part of the some of the products
being offered by private insurers as a differentiator. However, we need to work towards
making it a permanent feature.

Need to promote preventive health
screening in India, say doctors

360 patients benefit from the special health camp where doctors also offered free of cost consultations

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 08 :
With an increasing burden of lifestyle diseases afflicting Indians doctors at Venkateshwar Hospital, New Delhi say it is important to inculcate the culture of preventive health screening among Indians to catch diseases early.

Vekateshwar Hospital, Dwarka held a special multi-specialty health camp for residents of the locality to encourage them to undergo preventive health screenings.

Doctors from 19 specialties including Cardiology, Pulmonology, Internal Medicine as well as Orthopedics participated in the camp and offered consultation and advice to a large number of people seeking medical help. A number of the participants at the camp came in for second opinions, while several walked in for a general health check up. The investigations offered at the camp included Random Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, BMI, among others.

As many as 360 patients benefited from the health camp where they sought expert consultations and opinions on issues nagging their health.

Preventative health screening

"Preventive health screenings is the process of checking individuals for any anomaly before any symptoms arise. In western countries, annual preventive screenings are a part of every individual's life. They often help in spotting dangerous diseases early and ensure timely treatment and survival. In India, however, the culture of preventive health screenings is yet to take root. Forget preventive screenings, in our country most people even ignore symptoms and wait for them to resolve on their own," says Dr Rajiv Malhotra, Medical Director, Venkateshwar Hospital Dwarka.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
? Benjamin Franklin

"The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne. The prevention of many suicides will continue to be hindered until there is a general awareness of the nature of this pain."
? William Styron, Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

"There is only one ultimate and effectual preventative for the maladies to which flesh is heir, and that is death."
? Harvey Williams Cushing

"... From want of foresight men make changes which relishing well at first do not betray their hidden venom, as I have already observed respecting hectic fever. Nevertheless, the ruler is not truly wise who cannot discern evils before they develop themselves, and this is a faculty given to few."
? Niccolò Machiavelli

"Pragmatism is good prevention for problems."

He who cures a disease may be the skillfullest, but he that prevents it is the safest physician."
? Thomas Fuller

"Good hygiene enhanced sound well-being."

Preventative health screening

Nature had found the perfect place to hide the yellow fever virus. It seeded itself and grew in the blood, blooming yellow and running red."
? Molly Caldwell Crosby, The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped Our History

"Malaria-hosting mosquitoes will not wait politely during their most active evening feeding hours for people to go to bed under mosquito nets."
? T.K. Naliaka

"When we assess someone's life or health on the basis of surface-level observations or passing comments, it presents us with a very flawed version of reality."
? Evita Ochel, Healing & Prevention Through Nutrition: A Holistic Approach to Eating and Living for Optimal Health, Weight, and Wellness

When considering grand plans for effective communicable disease control in this time of Ebola peril, malaria continues to kill nearly a million people a year world-wide, and by far the single most reliable protection against malaria is to sleep under a mosquito net, but one of the major impediments to this basic and effective malaria control is that many people, regardless of education level or country of origin, in malaria endemic zones don't install and use one, not that they can't get one, but because they don't think the mosquito net 'looks nice."
? T.K. Naliaka

It is not possible to live in a malaria endemic zone without either being sickened by it oneself or without knowing someone who has had it or been hospitalized with it or without personally knowing at least one man, woman or child who has died from it or without knowing at least one woman who has lost her unborn baby from it."
? T.K. Naliaka

"To paraphrase Lucretius, there's nothing more useful than to watch a man or woman in times of contagious deadly disease peril combined with his or her assumptions of financial adversity to discern what kind of man or woman they really are."
? T.K. Naliaka

"Shovels aren't very glamorous, but they've been liberating entire communities from malaria for the past 5,000 years."
? T.K. Naliaka

"If the natural environment is changed and the electromagnetic radiation levels increase, then it may cause illness and disease in humans."
? Steven Magee, Solar Radiation, Global Warming and Human Disease

“Preventive health screenings is the process of checking individuals for any anomaly before any symptoms arise. In western countries, annual preventive screenings are a part of every individual’s life. They often help in spotting dangerous diseases early and ensure timely treatment and survival. In India, however, the culture of preventive health screenings is yet to take root. Forget preventive screenings, in our country most people even ignore symptoms and wait for them to resolve on their own,” says Dr Rajiv Malhotra, Medical Director, Venkateshwar Hospital Dwarka.

Regular health screenings are especially necessary to check for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and several forms of cancers. An annual screening can help you keep aware of your body and its vital statistics.

“We often meet patients who have not had their blood pressures checked for years. This lackadaisical approach to health can be very harmful. Untreated chronic blood pressure can lead to strokes and heart attacks. A lot of people realize they are hypertensive after suffering such as episode. This is because often high blood pressure doesn’t manifest any symptoms also. With changing lifestyles, incidence of non-communicable diseases are rising in India. This makes it even more pertinent for Indians to adopt the practice of preventive screenings,” adds Dr Rajiv Malhotra, Medical Director, Venkateshwar Hospital Dwarka.

Apart from investigations and consultation, the patients were also dispensed valuable advice on the need for maintaining a healthy body weight, indulging in regular physical exercise and undergoing regular tests for blood pressure and blood sugar.

AROGYA - Ayurveda Expo inaugurated
at Science City, Kolkata

Inauguration

The Minister :

MoUs

Focal point

AROGYA, the Ayurveda Expo was inaugurated at Science City, Kolkata by Mr Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Govt of India

Ayurveda stakeholders from India and abroad can take advantage of a mega event like AROGYA EXPO. While the World Ayurveda Congress aims to nurture Ayurveda as a Way of Life, the Expo elucidates the viability of Ayurveda and natural medicine as a robust and thriving source of alternate medicine."

In the evening of Nov 30, 2016 two important memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH, Govtof India with premier universities in Argentina and Israel.

The Ayurveda Ecosystem remains the focal point of the World Ayurveda Congress, and with this objective in mind, the 4-day session includes scientific papers of international caliber, B2B meet, conclave on Ethno pharmacology, Seminars, Scientific Lectures and Workshops on Scientific Writing, Panchakarma, Ksharkarma, Afforestation of Medicinal Plants and Mental Health.

MoUs signed between universities of Argentina and Israel for collaborative research and curriculum development

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 02 :
AROGYA, the world's largest Ayurveda Expo was inaugurated at Science City, Kolkata by Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Govt of India. This unique 4-day expo is a part of the 7th World Ayurveda Congress, supported by the Ministry of AYUSH, Govt of India and every year, it brings together an astounding number of Ayurveda practitioners, scientists, researchers, teachers and students from India and abroad.

Speaking at the function Mr. Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of AYUSH, Govt of India said, "Ayurveda stakeholders from India and abroad can take advantage of a mega event like AROGYA EXPO. While the World Ayurveda Congress aims to nurture Ayurveda as a Way of Life, the Expo elucidates the viability of Ayurveda and natural medicine as a robust and thriving source of alternate medicine."

AROGYA EXPO showcases the best that Ayurveda sector has to offer in terms of products and services with best Ayurvedic innovations by leading companies and health care options by medical and educational institutions. Cultivators, collectors and medicinal plant dealers will display the giant strides made in backward integration and resource security for the Ayurveda sector that relies on nature and natural ingredients for health care delivery. Free health checkups at AYUSH Clinics are another highlight of the expo.

In the evening of Nov 30, 2016 two important memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH, Govtof India with premier universities in Argentina and Israel.

Strengthening The Ayurveda Ecosystem remains the focal point of the World Ayurveda Congress, and with this objective in mind, the 4-day session includes scientific papers of international caliber, B2B meet, conclave on Ethno pharmacology, Seminars, Scientific Lectures and Workshops on Scientific Writing, Panchakarma, Ksharkarma, Afforestation of Medicinal Plants and Mental Health.

J P Nadda felicitates doctors with
'India News Health Awards'

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

Doctors and Patients

Before you examine the body of a patient, be patient to learn his story. For once you learn his story, you will also come to know his body."
? Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 21 :
In ceremony held at The Lalit, Delhi, 19 doctors and professionals from healthcare industry were felicitated with the India News Health Awards by Mr J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare. Under this unique initiative, the First Edition of India News Health Awards honoured doctors and individuals from healthcare industry for their exemplary work.

Winners in various categories were felicitated for the outstanding contribution in their field of expertise by Mr J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, who was present on the occasion as chief guest along with guest of honour - Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, PMO and other dignitaries, leaders and celebrities.

Speaking on this initiative, Mr. Kartikeya Sharma, Founder & Promoter, iTV Network said, "On behalf of India News, I extend my gratitude to all the winners of Health Awards. It's a matter of pride to honour the doctors for their remarkable duty towards ensuring a healthy society."

He further added, "India News Health Awards recognises doctors and professionals from healthcare industry who have worked tirelessly while achieving excellence in their field of expertise. It is a privilege for us to felicitate awardees who have rendered distinguished service to the society."

Increasing incidence of aggressive
cancers in Indian women a major concern

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 19 :
"Breast cancer, whether I like it or not, is part of my family's story. That's why I am so passionate about raising awareness, because I have seen firsthand how it can impact others." - DeAngelo Williams

And so breast cancer is today the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Indian women. Not only is breast cancer incidence increasing in the country, but cases of more aggressive cancers that are difficult to treat are also on the rise.

It is disheartening to note here that the survival rates for younger women are actually lower than older women, because the former tend to have more aggressive cancers that grow rapidly, are more invasive, and have poorer prognosis.

The factors responsible for rising breast cancer incidence in India include adoption of lifestyle involving smoking, drinking, and sedentary habits; obesity, reduced consumption of organic foods, particularly vegetables and fruits; delayed age of marriages and child birth for women; late age of first term pregnancy or no pregnancy (nulliparity); reduced durations of breast feeding or no breast feeding, as well as late menopause.

The good news is that survival rates have improved in recent years due to the availability of highly improved therapies and treatment protocols, and adoption of a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment has helped a lot. Today, it is possible to successfully prolong the life of a patient using a multi-dimensional approach to treatment, especially if the disease is diagnosed in stage 1 or stage 2. According to American Cancer Society, there are around 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. In fact the survival rates in developed countries such as the US, Japan and Sweden are more than 80%. In western countries, regular screening programs have succeeded in early identification and treatment of a large number of women.

However, late diagnosis remains a major challenge in India and survival rates here are among the lowest in the world. More than 60% of patients are diagnosed in stage 3 or 4, by when the cancer has spread to more than the immediately affected region.

Most patients who are suffering from highly treatable cancers also lose out the battle because of late detection. Absence of a community based screening program in India puts the onus on individuals.
Breast cancer can be defeated by staying alert

Almost half of the breast cancer deaths in India can be preventable if the disease is presented on time. Regular screening not only saves lives by diagnosing the disease at an early stage, but also allows doctors to undertake less toxic and less disfiguring treatments:

• Monthly self examination starting at 25 years of age: Once in a month after completion of menstrual bleeding, it is recommended that you conduct a self examination to rule out any lump, or change in shape of your breast area.

• Clinical breast examination is recommended every 3 years after one turns 25

• Clinical Breast Examination with mammography yearly after the age of 40 years.

• Consider genetic testing for BRCA 1/BRCA 2 genes if more than one family member has been diagnosed with breast cancer. This will help you know your risk

Epilepsy is a disease in the shadows. Patients are often reluctant to admit their condition - even to close family, friends or co-workers - because there's still a great deal of stigma and mystery surrounding the disease that plagued such historical figures as Julius Caesar, Edgar Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll. - Lynda Resnick

Social stigma prevents epilepsy patients
from getting right medical care

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

Epilepsy or seizure disorder

Epilepsy or seizure disorder is the fourth most common neurological disorder affecting people of all ages. As we observe National Epilepsy Day, doctors at Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon are advocating the need for greater awareness about the medical condition to quell the social stigma associated with it.

Despite being a common condition, a number of myths, misconceptions and stigma is attached to it, preventing a number of people from openly discussing their condition and seeking the right medical treatment and care.

At a press conference to highlight the prevalence of this condition and raise awareness about it, doctors said that ignorance and lack of awareness about neurological conditions is at the root of social stigmatization.

When the brain activity is kindled in the right spot, people hear voices. If a physician prescribes an anti-epileptic medication, the seizures go away and the voices disappear. Our reality depends on what our biology is up to."
? David Eagleman, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

"A big seizure just kind of grabs the inside of your skull and squeezes. It feels as if it's twisting and turning your brain all up and down and inside out. Have you ever heard a washing machine suddenly flip into that bang-bang-bang sound when it gets out of balance, or a chain saw when the chain breaks and gets caught up in the gears, or an animal like a cat, screeching in pain? Those are what seizures felt like when I was little."- Terry Trueman, Stuck in Neutral

"If an epileptic seizure is focused in a particular sweet spot in the temporal lobe, a person won´t have motor seizures, but instead something more subtle. The effect is something like a cognitive seizure, marked by changes of personality, hyperreligiosity (an obsession with religion and feelings of religious certainity), hypergraphia (extensive writing on a subject, usually about religion), the false sense of an external presence, and, often, the hearing voices that are attributed to a god. Some fraction of history´s prophets, martyrs, and leaders appear to have had temporal lobe epilepsy.
When the brain activity is kindled in the right spot, people hear voices. If a physician prescribes an anti-epileptic medication, the seizures go away and the voices disappear. Our reality depends on what our biology is up to." - David Eagleman, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

"We got there without being spotted. I pulled her in, then shut the door, pressing my back to it and exhaling like an epileptic pilot who'd just landed a cargo plane full of dynamite."
? Brandon Sanderson, Firefight

Kelley Armstrong
"What the hell is that?"
I jumped and glanced over to see Kristof staring at Grady, who was waving his arms, rolling his eyes, shaking and moaning.
"I think he's possessed," I said.
"By what? Epilepsy?" - Kelley Armstrong, No Humans Involved

"There's nothing more debilitating about a disability than the way people treat you over it."
? Solange nicole

"For if a man by magical arts and sacrifices will bring down the moon, and darken the sun, and induce storms, or fine weather, I should not believe that there was anything divine, but human, in these things, provided the power of the divine were overpowered by human knowledge and subjected to it." - Hippocrates, Hippocratic Writings

"Electricity is life but electricity is an invisible fist punching up your spine, knocking your brains right out of your skull."
? Ray Robinson, Electricity

"[Epilepsy] gave her an adversity to fight against. It had shaped her personality, the need to be careful and secretive, and the ability to see things a bit differently from the neurotypical. She granted that this feeling of having a broken brain that required her to be sensitive, to look always inward to survive, might be why she turned artist." - Thomm Quackenbush, Flies to Wanton Boys

"There's a part of the human brain, the temporal lobe, that is associated with religious experiences as well as with epilepsy." - Ken MacLeod, Descent

"In an electroencephalogram… one of her seizures was almost identical to an orgasm... Nothing happened during a seizure that couldn't happen outside one, except that Roselyn was not in control of it and it happened all at once. Since then, she had experienced hundreds of orgasms and dozens of seizures and, though she didn't come close to finding the latter nearly as entertaining as the former, it was always in her mind. In the midst of Dryden's often machine gun lovemaking or her own considerably more directed and soft ministrations, it was always in the back of her mind at the moment of climax—this is a tenth of a seizure, this is a fifth of one."
- Thomm Quackenbush, Flies to Wanton Boys

"Wolves exhibiting strange behaviour - caught in traps and thrashing about, injured by other creatures or by bullets, pups suffering from epilepsy -- are attacked and killed by their pack members. But here everyone is human and must try to understand each other's mystery. Each other's pain."
-Nadeem Aslam"
- Ken MacLeod, Descent

Epilepsy is a disease in the shadows. Patients are often reluctant to admit their condition - even to close family, friends or co-workers - because there's still a great deal of stigma and mystery surrounding the disease that plagued such historical figures as Julius Caesar, Edgar Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll."
- Lynda Resnick

There are few chemicals that we as a people are exposed to that have as many far reaching physiological affects on living beings as Monosodium Glutamate does. MSG directly causes obesity, diabetes, triggers epilepsy, destroys eye tissues, is genotoxic in many organs and is the probable cause of ADHD and Autism. Considering that MSG's only reported role in food is that of 'flavour enhancer' is that use worth the risk of the myriad of physical ailments associated with it? Does the public really want to be tricked into eating more food and faster by a food additive?"
- John E. Erb

"We come across many people who have been silently suffering from the condition for years without seeking medical treatment because they are too embarrassed to discuss it with someone. Families even try to hide the condition of their loved one from the society fearing stigmatization and segregation. Many people even link Epilepsy with insanity which is an absolutely ignorant thing to do. It is important to raise awareness about the condition and educate people that epilepsy is a medical condition which can be effectively treated," says Dr Rajnish Kumar, Sr Consultant & Unit Head, Neurology, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon.

Fourteen year old, Sanchit Garg, was suffering from seizures almost daily for the past one year despite being on medication for generalized clonic tonic seizures. However, at Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, his condition was diagnosed as that of pseudo seizures. Pseudoseizures are paroxysmal episodes that resemble and are often misdiagnosed as epileptic seizures; though they have psychological origin. Sanchit is now under the treatment of Dr. Rajnish Kumar, and is living a seizure-free life. Other patients who participated in the press conference included 58-year-old

Mrs Pramila Tomar and 34 year old Mr. Ravi Tomar, both from the same family; and 10-year-old Ashi who was experiencing seizures from last 2 years due to hyperactivities in brain.

Like all mental and neurological disorders, epilepsy is often looked upon as if it is a matter of embarrassment and shame. Epilepsy is a spectrum condition with a wide range of seizure types and control varying from person-to-person. A seizure is actually a disruption of the electrical communication between neurons inside the brain. Epilepsy is characterized by unpredictable seizures and can cause other health problems.

"Neurological or mental disorders have long been looked upon with stigma. The reason for this scenario is that unlike other medical specialties, human understanding of nervous system is relatively new. Medical community now understands well how episodes of seizure are provoked by the brain. However, this awareness is still low among the common people. Due to ignorance and myths, people in ancient and medieval societies gave seizure disorders 'evil' or supernatural connotations. The stigma has somehow continued to persist," added Dr Rajnish Kumar.

Unfortunately, public perception and misunderstanding of epilepsy causes challenges that are often worse than the seizures. In many communities in India, especially the rural population, epilepsy is not even recognized as a medical condition and patients are often taken to faith healers for treatment.

Having seizures and epilepsy can affect relationships, work ability, driving and can be a safety hazard. With sustained medical treatment, most epileptic patients are able to live healthy and productive lives.

Do not partner with fear to help you make decisions"
― Jeannette Gregory

Alarming rise in breast cancer among young women: Over 40 % of patients now below 50

"Breast cancer is being detected at an earlier, more treatable stage these days, largely because women are taking more preventive measures, like self-exams and regular mammograms. And treatment is getting better too." - Elizabeth Hurley

"With over 3 million women battling breast cancer today, everywhere you turn there is a mother, daughter, sister, or friend who has been affected by breast cancer." - Betsey Johnson

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

BANGALORE , NOVEMBER 14 : In what is being seen as an alarming medical trend by doctors, the incidence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing among younger women in India, with more than 40 per cent of the patients now below 50 years of age.

"Till as early as 10 years back breast cancer was largely considered a disease of elderly women. In fact, age is still considered a major risk factor for breast cancer across the world. However, this medical belief is now on shaky ground with the changing features of the disease being manifested in patients today. Unlike a decade back when most women patients diagnosed with breast cancer were above 50, today more women under 50 years of age are being diagnosed with the disease," says Dr Prasad Narayanan, Medical Oncologist, Cytecare Hospital.

Terming it a multi-factor health issue Dr Narayanan blames lifestyle risk factors for the rise in incidence of breast cancer. Among the causes for the surge are increasing obesity, urban lifestyle, lack of exercise, delayed age of childbearing and reduced breastfeeding. The rampant night club culture in cities like Bangalore which promotes unhealthy eating, excessive smoking and drinking indulgences are all contributory factors.

The demography of Indian patients is emerging as different from those in the West where breast cancer is still more prevalent in older women.

"Not only are more younger women being diagnosed with the disease, it has also been observed that cancers in younger women are typically more aggressive which do not respond to common therapies and have more chances of relapsing. Women diagnosed at a younger age also are more likely to have a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes which suggests hereditary origin of the disease," adds Dr Narayanan.

Unfortunately, most young women do not care about regular screening and some even tend to ignore warning signs because they believe they are too young to suffer from breast cancer. In its very initial phase, breast cancer doesn't present any symptoms; the earliest symptoms that may manifest include a painless lump in the breast, unusual discharge from the nipple, a change in the breast shape or size, or swelling or lump in the underarm area. Any notable abnormality in the breast should be immediately reported to a doctor and evaluated for further investigation.

Late stage detection and lack of screening programs are the biggest concerns in India, with more than 60% of the patients diagnosed in later stages of the disease. Clinical evidence suggests that the percentage of early diagnosed patients is still abysmally low in India, with less than 10 per cent diagnosed in stage 1 and less than 20% diagnosed in stage 2. This means that as many as 60 to 70 percent of the patients present at stage III or stage IV when it is too late to treat the disease or prolong the life of the person.

Dr Narayanan says there is imminent need for more cancer registry centers in the state to gauge the true extent of the problem.

The good news is that breast cancer is curable if detected timely, and only increased awareness and better screening practices can ensure improved survival rates.

According to estimates of World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 144,937 women in India were detected with breast cancer in 2012 and 70,218 died of it, making it one death for every two new diagnoses. With the incidence of the disease rising by more than 20% since 2008, India is expected to have a whopping 200,000 new cases of breast cancer per year by 2030.

Stay Alert Once You Turn 25.

Almost half of the breast cancer deaths in India can be preventable if the disease is presented on time. Regular screening not only saves lives by diagnosing the disease at an early stage, but also allows doctors to undertake less toxic and less disfiguring treatments:

• Monthly self examination starting at 25 years of age: Once in a month after completion of menstrual bleeding, it is recommended that you conduct a self examination to rule out any lump, or change in shape of your breast area. Technique should be reviewed by a health professional during physical examination.

• Clinical breast examination is recommended every 3 years after one turns 25

• Clinical Breast Examination with mammography yearly after the age of 40 years.

Overweight kids in Delhi-NCR are more
prone to diabetes: ASSOCHAM study

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 12 :
"Flavor factories churn out chemical desire. We spray, squirt, and inject hundreds of millions of pounds of those chemicals on food every year, and then we find ourselves surprised and alarmed that people keep eating. We have become so talented at soaking our food in fakeness that the leading cause of preventable death - smoking - bears a troubling resemblance to the second leading cause of preventable death - obesity."
― Mark Schatzker, The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor

Obesity is not a disease. It is a lifestyle affliction. It is a symptom. It is a side-effect of poor habits and it can be reversed."
― Nancy S. Mure, Eat! Empower. Adjust. Triumph!: Lose Ridiculous Weight, Succeed on Any Diet Plan, Bust Through Any Plateau in 3 Empowering Steps!

And so
one in every ten children between the age of 5-16 yrs are overweight and are more prone to diabetic, reasons for rise in childhood diabetes are high calorie diet, junk food, inactivity, less outdoor games and more of indoor games, according to a recent study conducted by ASSOCHAM Health committee council on the occasion of ‘World Diabetic day’ on November 14.

Children’s Day coinciding with Diabetes Day has revealed that one in every ten children less than 16 are more prone to diabetes in urban India, reveals the ASSOCHAM study. As per the findings, about 72 per cent urban children don't exercise regularly. Obesity is also a common factor and it has grown over 65 per cent among the children.

The study was conducted in private and public school in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata among 10,000 children. Many children develop lifestyle diseases, due to this drastic change in lifestyle and eating habits is the need of hour to tackle the alarming situation, reveals the ASSOCHAM paper.

Key Findings of ASSOCHAM Study on Diabetes

•69% Delhi kids are prone to diabetic followed by Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai

•17 million people suffered kidney problems arising out of diabetes "Diabetes and Gene by Prof. Dr. Robert Hess. Diabetes is a common metabolic disease in which lost the proper regulation of blood sugar, it happens because of too much sugar in cells, lack of exercise, etc."
- Prof. Dr. Robert Hess

•About 80 million people suffer from pre-diabetes, and this figure is likely to go up to 125 million by 2035.• Almost 85 per cent of diabetes is related to obesity

•A meagre 4% of the kids engaged in some form of physical activity•One out of every ten adolescent in India is now overweight and prone to diabetic

• Long-term effects of diabetes can include blindness, gangrene, renal failure and heart disease
•Diabetes is passed that way -- over and down, like a knight in chess."
? Maile Meloy, Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It

The recent trend is worrying; children are at a risk of diabetes-related complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, eye problems, nerve damage, etc. According to a recent study conducted by the ASSOCHAM Healthcare Committee council found that about 69% of Delhi’s children are more prone to diabetic, followed by Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, said Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM.

It reveals that about 69 per cent of Delhi kids are prone to this disease, which in the case of Mumbai is estimated at 56% of its total population. In Ahmedabad 49% people are diabetic, in Bangalore 39% while in Chennai the percentage is estimated to be 28%. In Hyderabad and Kolkata, the number of diabetic patients is estimated at 28% and 23% of the total population respectively. Even in rural areas, people are increasingly becoming victims of diabetes.

Ahead of World Diabetic Day (November 14), the study said there is a fourfold rise in the number of diabetics about 422 million in 2014 and half of them live in India, China, USA, Brazil and Indonesia. Developing countries become more vulnerable because of lack of knowledge especially in rural areas, adds the report.

Releasing the study, Dr. B K Rao, Chairman of ASSOCHAM Health Committee council said, Diabetes in children is generally attributed to bad eating habits, with nutritious meals being replaced with fast foods, coupled with physical inactivity. Stress is also another factor that leads to increase in diabetes cases.

Dr. Rao further said, Urban kids are suffering from Type-I diabetes range in the age group of 6 months to 18 years and some are even getting four insulin shots a day. Kids suffering from diabetics are getting it genetically.

The study suggests that timely screening and early identification of the disease can help the victim take immediate steps and improve the quality of life. To enable this, ASSOCHAM and its members, under CSR activities are organizing a series of free medical camps in Delhi with PSRI hospital, where comprehensive check-up, counselling, diet plan and information on diabetes management is being made available to participants.

As per the findings, Delhiites consume high amount of oil/ghee/butter in various cooked products. This has evidently increased the number of obesity and hypertension cases, giving a rise to number of diabetics.

ASSOCHAM Health committee warns that uncontrolled diabetes can affect various parts of the body which include blood vessels, heart, kidney, eye, food and nerves, and therefore advises adequate preventive measures need to be adopted to further control the spread of diabetics among Indian populace.

There are an estimated 80 million people in India who are suffering from pre-diabetes. The pre-diabetes is a condition in which the patients have high blood glucose level but are not in the diabetes range. These people are at high risk of getting diabetes.

• Help your child be active
• Make healthy meals and snacks
• Limit portion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt
• Limit your child's access to computer, smart phones and TV to 2 hours per day
• Be a good role model. Eat healthy food and live an active life

Osteoporosis or brittle bone disease can be prevented by adequate calcium intake and healthy living : Doctors

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

World Osteoporosis Day

"Twenty-seven bones make up the human hand. Lunate and capitate and navicular, scaphoid, and triquetrum, the tiny horn-shaped pisiforms of the outer wrist. Though different in shape and density each is smoothly aligned and flush-fitted, lashed by a meshwork of ligatures running under the skin. All vertebrates share a similar set of bones, and all bones grow out of the same tissue: a bird's wing, a whale's dorsal fine, a gecko's pad, your own hand. Bust an arm or leg and the knitting bone's sealed in a wrap of calcium so it's stronger than before. Bust a bone in your hand and it never heals right."
? Craig Davidson, Rust and Bone: Stories

jQuery toggle to display and hide content

DARBHANGA, NOVEMBER 09 :
"I sometimes think about old tombs and weeds
That interwreathe among the bones of kings
With cold and poisonous berry and black flower:
Or ruminate upon the skulls of steeds
Frailer than shells and on those luminous wings -
The shoulder blades of Princes of fled power,
Which now the unrecorded sandstorms grind
Into so wraith-like a translucency
Of tissue-thin and aqueous bone

- A Reverie of Bone"
― Mervyn Peake, Shapes And Sounds

A 'silent killer', osteoporosis is the cause of most bone fractures in the elderly. However, it must not be considered a normal or unavoidable part of ageing. Brittle bone disease, as it is called, can be avoided by adopting a healthy lifestyle, including sufficient intake of calcium, adequate physical activity, and shunning habits like smoking and drinking.

As we observe World Osteoporosis Day, doctors at Paras Global Hospital, Darbhanga say the incidence of osteoporosis are increasing due to factors like reduction in the levels of daily physical exercise, low level of sun exposure and excessive smoking and drinking.

Bones affected by osteoporosis may become so fragile that fractures occur spontaneously or as the result of minor bumps, falls, or normal stresses and strains such as bending, lifting, or even coughing," says Dr.Hasib Iqbal Kamali(Consultant-Ortho & Joint Replacement Surgeon).

Osteoporosis occurs when the rate of your bone loss becomes greater than the rate of one creation. The rate of bone loss increases in all adults after the age of 30. In women, this rate further increases after menopause. However, by ensuring a good intake of calcium and vitamin D this bone loss can be arrested.
A recent meta-analysis (acknowledged by WHO) concludes that roughly one in eight hip fractures can be attributed to cigarette smoking. Besides, in case of a bone injury, a person who smokes is more likely to have a longer period of recovery and greater risk of complication, say doctors.

"Osteoporosis may be linked to multiple risk factors. Smoking is an important factor depleting bone health in women today. Smoking during the years of bone-building puts you at risk of osteoporosis in later stage. Smokers are unable to absorb calcium efficiently from their diet. Also, the healing rate of fractured bones is much lower in people who smoke. Similarly, alcoholism is another cause of osteoporosis in some people," says Dr Abhishek Sarraf(Consultant- Ortho & Spine Surgeon).

Osteoporosis can also result from bone loss that may accompany a wide range of disease conditions, eating disorders, and certain medications and medical treatments. For instance, osteoporosis may be caused by long-term use of some antiseizure medications (anticonvulsants) and glucocorticoid medications such as prednisone and cortisone. Glucocorticoids are anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat many diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma, and Crohn's disease.

"Lack of physical exercise is another major cause of weak bones. Bones, much like muscles are a living tissue which respond to weight bearing exercise by becoming stronger. People who regularly engage in heavy physical work have stronger bones. Near total mechanization of our lives has drastically reduced the physical labor we engage in in our daily lives. This has to be compensated by regular heavy exercising such as jogging or brisk walking," adds Dr.Hasib Iqbal Kamali.

There are things you should do at any age to prevent weakened bones:

Calcium: Women over age 50 need 1,200 mg (milligrams) of calcium every day. Men need 1,000 mg between ages 51 and 70 and 1,200 mg after age 70. Foods that are high in calcium are the best source. For example, eat low-fat dairy foods, canned fish with soft bones such as salmon, and some dark-green leafy vegetables. Check the labels on foods like orange juice, breads, and cereals to find those with calcium added.

If you think you aren't getting enough calcium in your diet, check with your doctor first. He or she may tell you to try a calcium supplement.

We are only lightly covered with buttoned cloth; and beneath these pavements are shells, bones and silence.
? Virginia Woolf, The Waves

"Osteoporosis is often called a 'silent killer' because it usually progresses without any symptoms until a fracture occurs or one or more vertebrae (bones in the spine) collapse. Collapsed vertebrae may first be felt or seen when a person develops severe back pain, loss of height, or spine malformations such as a stooped or hunched posture.
Bones affected by osteoporosis may become so fragile that fractures occur spontaneously or as the result of minor bumps, falls, or normal stresses and strains such as bending, lifting, or even coughing," says Dr.Hasib Iqbal Kamali(Consultant-Ortho & Joint Replacement Surgeon).

"Lack of physical exercise is another major cause of weak bones. Bones, much like muscles are a living tissue which respond to weight bearing exercise by becoming stronger. People who regularly engage in heavy physical work have stronger bones. Near total mechanization of our lives has drastically reduced the physical labor we engage in in our daily lives. This has to be compensated by regular heavy exercising such as jogging or brisk walking," adds Dr.Hasib Iqbal Kamali.

There are things you should do at any age to prevent weakened bones:
Calcium: Women over age 50 need 1,200 mg (milligrams) of calcium every day. Men need 1,000 mg between ages 51 and 70 and 1,200 mg after age 70. Foods that are high in calcium are the best source. For example, eat low-fat dairy foods, canned fish with soft bones such as salmon, and some dark-green leafy vegetables. Check the labels on foods like orange juice, breads, and cereals to find those with calcium added.
If you think you aren't getting enough calcium in your diet, check with your doctor first. He or she may tell you to try a calcium supplement.

Vitamin D. Your body uses vitamin D to absorb calcium. Most people's bodies are able to make enough vitamin D if they are out in the sun without sunscreen for 10 to 15 minutes at least twice a week. You can also get vitamin D from eggs, fatty fish, and cereal and milk fortified with vitamin D. If you think you are not getting enough vitamin D, check with your doctor. Each day you should have:

• 600 IU (International Units) if you are age 51 to 70

• 800 IU if you are over age 70

Exercise: Weight-bearing exercises, done three to four times a week, are best for preventing osteoporosis. Walking, jogging, playing tennis, and dancing are examples of weight-bearing exercises. Try some strengthening and balance exercises too. They may help you avoid falls, which could cause a broken bone.

Lifestyle: People who smoke have an increased chance of breaking a bone. For this and many other health reasons, stop smoking. Limit alcohol. Too much alcohol can put you at risk for falling and breaking a bone.

'I was very surprised when last I bought a packet of cigarettes and had to request a refund as I read a warning that told me "smoking can cause fatal lung cancer". ― Robert Clark

GHAZIABAD , NOVEMBER 03 :
Even if it were possible to cast my horoscope in this one life, and to make an accurate prediction about my future, it would not be possible to 'show' it to me because as soon as I saw it my future would change by definition. This is why Werner Heisenberg's adaptation of the Hays Office—the so-called principle of uncertainty whereby the act of measuring something has the effect of altering the measurement—is of such importance. In my case the difference is often made by publicity. For example, and to boast of one of my few virtues, I used to derive pleasure from giving my time to bright young people who showed promise as writers and who asked for my help. Then some profile of me quoted someone who disclosed that I liked to do this. Then it became something widely said of me, whereupon it became almost impossible for me to go on doing it, because I started to receive far more requests than I could respond to, let alone satisfy. Perception modifies reality: when I abandoned the smoking habit of more than three decades I was given a supposedly helpful pill called Wellbutrin. But as soon as I discovered that this was the brand name for an antidepressant, I tossed the bottle away. There may be successful methods for overcoming the blues but for me they cannot include a capsule that says: 'Fool yourself into happiness, while pretending not to do so.' I should actually want my mind to be strong enough to circumvent such a trick.”
― Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22: A Memoir

And so 38 years of age, Pratima (name changed) believed she was too young to suffer from low bone density. However, after when she suffered a fracture in her arm after a minor fall, tests revealed she had osteoporosis of the level usually prevalent in women over 60!

Surprising as it may sound, Pratima is not an exception. A significant number of Indian women, especially in urban areas dwellers with increased risk of fractures are suffering from poor bone health, low bone density, and early onset of osteoporosis.

Doctors at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ghaziabad say the incidence of osteoporosis or osteopenia in women under 50 has markedly increased over the past 20 years. Bone loss is a silent condition which generally occurs slowly over a long period. A range of factors make urban Indians prone to early osteoporosis including low intake of dietary calcium, low sun exposure, lack of physical exercise and sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, bad habits like smoking and drinking are spreading like an epidemic in urban women too.

Smoking had come to be an important punctuation mark in the long sentence of a day on the road."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

"I was at a dinner party many years ago,sitting along from Tom Stoppard, who in those days smoked not just between courses,but between mouthfuls. An American woman watched in disbelief.
"And you so intelligent!"
"Excuse me?" said tom
"Knowing those things are going to kill you" she said "and still you do it."
"How differently I might behave" Tom said, "if immortality were an option"- Stephen Fry, The Fry Chronicles

"I thought you quit smoking."
"Did. For recreational purposes." His father flicked open his Zippo lighter. The smell of the lighter fluid filled the immediate proximity. "This is medicinal." He lit the cigarette, clicked the top of the lighter shut, and closed his eyes as he took in his first drag. "Ah. That feels better."
- Dawn Flemington, Hometown Secrets

Even if it were possible to cast my horoscope in this one life, and to make an accurate prediction about my future, it would not be possible to 'show' it to me because as soon as I saw it my future would change by definition. This is why Werner Heisenberg's adaptation of the Hays Office—the so-called principle of uncertainty whereby the act of measuring something has the effect of altering the measurement—is of such importance. In my case the difference is often made by publicity. For example, and to boast of one of my few virtues, I used to derive pleasure from giving my time to bright young people who showed promise as writers and who asked for my help. Then some profile of me quoted someone who disclosed that I liked to do this. Then it became something widely said of me, whereupon it became almost impossible for me to go on doing it, because I started to receive far more requests than I could respond to, let alone satisfy. Perception modifies reality: when I abandoned the smoking habit of more than three decades I was given a supposedly helpful pill called Wellbutrin. But as soon as I discovered that this was the brand name for an antidepressant, I tossed the bottle away. There may be successful methods for overcoming the blues but for me they cannot include a capsule that says: 'Fool yourself into happiness, while pretending not to do so.' I should actually want my mind to be strong enough to circumvent such a trick."
- Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22: A Memoir

Tobacco consumption in any form has a series of negative repercussions on health. While increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease is the most talked about, we often tend to overlook the ill effect of smoking on the bones. At the same time, alcohol consumption also interferes with calcium and vitamin D absorption in the body.

“Osteoporosis may be linked to multiple risk factors. Smoking is an important factor depleting bone health in women today. Firstly, the toxic components of smoke upset the hormonal balance in the body, particularly affecting estrogen production. This is a major cause of bone loss. Moreover, smoking women are most of the times unable to absorb calcium efficiently from their diet. The healing rate of fractured bones is much lower in smokers,” says Dr Rajesh Kumar Verma, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.

“Well, I'm not here to impinge on anybody else's lifestyle. If I'm in a place where I know I'm going to harm somebody's health or somebody asks me to please not smoke, I just go outside and smoke. But I do resent the way the nonsmoking mentality has been imposed on the smoking minority. Because, first of all, in a democracy, minorities do have rights. And, second, the whole pitch about smoking has gone from being a health issue to a moral issue, and when they reduce something to a moral issue, it has no place in any kind of legislation, as far as I'm concerned.”
- Frank Zappa

A recent meta-analysis (acknowledged by WHO) concludes that roughly one in eight hip fractures can be attributed to cigarette smoking. Besides, in case of a bone injury, a person who smokes is more likely to have a longer period of recovery and greater risk of complication, say doctors.

“Smoking during the years of bone-building puts you at risk of osteoporosis in later stage. Smoking after 30 will speed up loss of bone mass almost twice as faster. Your whole body will lose bone mass, but hip, spine, and wrist are the most affected areas in general. The shocking part is inhaling second-hand smoke affects your bones in the same way,” adds Dr. Rajesh Kumar Verma, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.

While the rate of bone loss increases in both men and women after the age of 30. In women, this process is further accelerated after menopause. Hence, healthy bones are dependent on the development of a strong bone structure during the younger years. Studies suggest that too much alcohol consumption can interfere with bone development and bone remodeling process, resulting in decreased bone density.

“Excessive alcohol intake also interrupts the absorption of calcium and vitamin D in the bones. It also suppresses osteoblast cells, essential for bone remodeling. Finally, it must be said that chronic heavy drinking especially during early adulthood can dramatically compromise bone quality and increase risk of osteoporosis,” says Dr. Rajesh Kumar Verma, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.
Clinical evidence suggests a downward shift in the age threshold of osteoporosis in India. However, it is important to note that lifestyle-related factors are all modifiable and can be overcome with a little willpower. If you care for your bone health and overall well-being, give up smoking today and limit your alcohol consumption.
Understanding Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is usually an age-related loss of bone mineral density that makes bones weak and prone to fractures, so that even a mild fall or injury may result in a fracture. However, even younger people may fall prey to brittle bone syndrome if they have insufficient calcium intake or have been smoking or consuming alcohol over a long time. The condition is also common in women who face rapid depletion of bone minerals after menopause.

Osteoporosis is calculated by comparing the bone mineral density (BMD) of the patient with that of a normal person, as per the criteria set by WHO. As per set criteria, a standardized score called, T-score is used to determine the condition.

{People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes or a high blood-sugar level are vulnerable to brain stroke. So are people that are obese, smoke or consume alcohol in large volumes and are physically inactive. In addition, the risk of stroke increases with age, while males are more likely to suffer a stroke than females.
}

'Most of the lifestyle-related risks
can
be reduced to prevent brain stroke'

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

World Stroke Day

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 29 : A 'brain stroke' or a 'brain attack' is an event and condition that many of us know little about, but each one of us has the capacity to prevent and detect , said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, on World Stroke Day.

In low-and middle-income countries, which include those of the WHO South-East Asia Region, over 11 million strokes occur every year. This causes 4 million deaths annually, and leaves approximately 30 per cent of survivors seriously disabled. For the 70% of survivors who recover, the likelihood of suffering further strokes is greatly increased.

People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes or a high blood-sugar level are vulnerable to brain stroke. So are people that are obese, smoke or consume alcohol in large volumes and are physically inactive. In addition, the risk of stroke increases with age, while males are more likely to suffer a stroke than females.

Most of the lifestyle-related risks can be reduced to prevent brain stroke. People who smoke should quit, and those who drink heavily should cease. These two factors alone significantly multiply the likelihood of stroke.

"The nerves of the skin send pain signals to the brain to warn us of the danger from and impending injury. In the case of self-inflicted wounding, this pain acts as the body's own defense mechanism to stop one from proceeding in the effort at physical injury. If a person proceeds despite the pain, that means that he or she is motivated by something stronger than the pain, something that makes him or her capable of ignoring or enduring it."- Steven Levenkron

A diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in salt should be consumed. Doing so will decrease fatty deposits in the arteries that can cause blockages, as well as diminish the prospect of burst vessels that high blood pressure brings.

Regular exercise should be undertaken - at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least five times a week.

Blood pressure, blood-sugar and cholesterol levels should be checked regularly, with associated conditions managed in consultation with a health care provider.

Identifying stroke's early warning signs is equally important to prevent disability or death. There are three key signs to watch out for - Is the face drooping on one side? Is there weakness in one arm? Is the speech slurred? If the answer is yes to one or all of the above, the person may be having a stroke and needs urgent medical care.

Most of the lifestyle-related risks can be reduced to prevent brain stroke. People who smoke should quit, and those who drink heavily should cease. These two factors alone significantly multiply the likelihood of stroke.

Identifying stroke's early warning signs is equally important to prevent disability or death. There are three key signs to watch out for - Is the face drooping on one side? Is there weakness in one arm? Is the speech slurred? If the answer is yes to one or all of the above, the person may be having a stroke and needs urgent medical care.

Our health systems must be in a position to act decisively.

On World Stroke Day, we need to spread awareness on stroke prevention, understand the symptoms and when to seek immediate care, and have a well-prepared health system to save lives and prevent lifelong disability.

Cancer. The word meant the same to me as tsunami or piranha. I had never seen them; I wasn't even quite sure what they were, but I knew they were bad and I knew in many cases they were deadly.- Natalie Palmer, Second Kiss

Dr Meenu Walia talks on male breast cancer

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

"Cancer awareness month"

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 24 :
"The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort."

And so a larger part of audience knows that October is the breast cancer awareness month, an annual campaign to educate people about breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer. This disease has become a major problem all across the world including India.

On the occasion Oncologist Dr. Meenu Walia, talks about the Male breast cancer.

What is exactly Male Breast Cancer?

Male breast cancer which is not very common in Men is characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells, which results in formation of lumps within the breast. It is one of the treatable forms of cancers. If not detected early, it can be a life threatening disease as it can also spread to other parts of the body.
The various signs of the Male Breast Cancer are – thickening in the breast tissue, lump increasing in size, Skin covering the breast , occurrence of redness on the breast etc
Less than 1 percent of persons with breast cancer are male. After the diagnosis of breast cancer is made, the mortality rates are virtually the same for men and for women. While female breast cancer has received a lot of press attention thanks to its high inci¬dence rate and even celebrities falling vic¬tim - Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie got a preventive double mastectomy done in 2013 on being diagnosed with a defective BRCA1 gene - little is 'known about Male Breast Cancer still.
As per studies, one in 30 girls born in India may develop breast cancer during her lifetime. But one in 400 men would also contract the vicious disease. While 83 per cent women are likely to be alive five years after early-stage diagnosis, for men it would be only 73 per cent, thanks to scanty breast fat tissue in males allowing the cancer to spread deep very soon.
"What is even lesser known about MBC is that alcohol is one of its risk factors," said Dr Meenu Walia, director of medical oncology at Max Cancer Centre in Patparganj. "A damaged liver is unable to control the level of estrogen (female hormone) in a man's body. This leads to gynaecomastia or enlarged breasts which become cancerous in the long run."
Those suffering from cirrhosis or a liver damaged by other ill¬nesses are at an even higher risk.

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Diagnosis and treatment

The same techniques that are used to diagnose breast cancer in women

The same techniques that are used to diagnose breast cancer in women are used in men: physical exams, mammography, and biopsies.
The same treatments that are used in treating breast cancer in women surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, biological therapy, and hormone therapy - are also used to treat breast cancer in men.

"Top question of the dying: "What made me sick?"
- Steven Magee

Opinions :

I have every expectation that cancer will become known as the disease of human evolution trying and failing to adapt to a significantly changed environment."
- Steven Magee

You can include any content you want inside an accordion item. Here's a bullet list:

"We normally know we're getting older, when the only thing we want for our birthday, is not to be reminded; unless you're a cancer survivor, then we love being reminded!"
- Chris Geiger, The Cancer Survivors Club

"I sat in that room and realized that you can cut off a finger, cut off a hand, even cut off a leg, but if you take a woman's breast, you are cutting more than just a body part."
? Charles Martin, Where the River Ends

"Love and laughter are two of the most important universal cancer treatments on the planet. Overdose on them."
- Tanya Masse

Depression

Whenever you read a cancer booklet or website or whatever, they always list depression among the side effects of cancer. But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying."
- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

"Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of."
- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Maybe 'Okay' will be our 'always'..."
- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

"Cancer gave me an understanding of the point of all this. To survive. Most of our lives it is easy but for the moments when it becomes difficult, when accident or sickness or sadness strikes, it's just about remembering one thing. You must simply survive."
― Shaun Hick

"Saw a film on cancer yesterday, shown by the English delegation. No doubt about it. I'm right. "Migratory cancer cells" are amoebic formations. They are produced from disintegrating tissue and thus demonstrate the law of tension and charge in its purest form - as does the orgastic convulsion.
Now money is a must - cancer the main issue - in every respect, even political.
It was a staggering experience. My intuition is good. I depend on it. Was absolutely driven to buy a microscope. The sight of the cancer cells was exactly as I had previously imagined it, had almost physically felt it would be. Cancer is an autoinfection of the body, of an organ. And researchers have no idea of what, hor, or where!!"
- Wilhelm Reich, Beyond Psychology: Letters and Journals, 1934-1939

Finally, "Sickness usually dominates the thoughts of a patient with cancer, but too much preoccupation with illness can have a destructive effect on the mind, and knowing what can happen frequently becomes self-fulfilling. Today, people who are ill will spend hours surfing the internet to find out all they can about their illness – but this isn't always a good thing."
― Jennifer Worth, In the Midst o

Accelerate efforts to end tuberculosis :
WHO Regional Director, SEARO

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

"WHO Regional Director, SEARO on tuberculosis"

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 14 : "Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious problem across the WHO South-East Asia Region, and requires the fullest attention and strongest commitment of governments, donors and civil society leaders to be effectively addressed," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia

As outlined in WHO's new global report on TB, a number of countries in the Region are among the world's highest TB burden countries, while revised estimates based on increased case-reporting and enhanced surveillance show that the TB caseload is higher than previously projected. TB is the single largest cause of death of any infectious disease in the Region, and remains responsible for incalculable suffering, premature mortality, impoverishment and foregone development.

To get on track to achieve the SDG 2030 target and Global End TB Strategy targets by 2035, which includes reducing TB deaths by 95 per cent and cutting new cases by 90 per cent, countries across the Region must significantly scale up key interventions made in recent years.

As outlined in WHO's new global report on TB, a number of countries in the Region are among the world's highest TB burden countries, while revised estimates based on increased case-reporting and enhanced surveillance show that the TB caseload is higher than previously projected. TB is the single largest cause of death of any infectious disease in the Region, and remains responsible for incalculable suffering, premature mortality, impoverishment and foregone development.

To get on track to achieve the SDG 2030 target and Global End TB Strategy targets by 2035, which includes reducing TB deaths by 95 per cent and cutting new cases by 90 per cent, countries across the Region must significantly scale up key interventions made in recent years.

Though countries have been making efforts to end TB and the number of TB deaths and TB incidence rate continues to fall, at the current trend the Region would not be able to achieve the SDG targets. A newer and bolder approach is needed to bend the curve faster and sharper to achieve the global targets.

This means intensifying measures to ensure early diagnosis and treatment, such as active case-finding and enhancing access to cutting-edge diagnostic tools. Adopting newer approaches of case diagnosis, community based treatment and treatment of latent infection. It means integrating TB programmes with existing health systems, thereby amplifying the effect these interventions have. And it also means ensuring these and other interventions meet the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations, who continue to disproportionately suffer from the disease.

To make this happen, funds must be allocated accordingly, while political commitment must be fortified. Both must occur at national and international levels. Moreover, governments should provide national TB programmes the operating capacity to be agile and responsive in their efforts, while TB control leaders should adapt and apply global TB strategies with care and diligence.

The battle to achieve a Region free of TB with zero death, disease and suffering is both possible and necessary. We can and must make it happen.

OPINION :
"One might go to the bakery, perhaps," he said. "But did you know the baker has tuberculosis? All the people here run around in a highly infectious state. The baker's daughter has tuberculosis too, it seems to have something to do with the runoff from the cellulose factory, with the steam that the locomotives have spewed out for decades, with the bad diet that people eat. Almost all of them have cankered lung lobes, pneumothorax and pneumoperitoneum are endemic. They have tuberculosis of the lungs, the head, the arms and legs. All of them have tubercular abscesses somewhere on their bodies. The valley is notorious for tuberculosis. You will find every form of it here: skin tuberculosis, brain tuberculosis, intestinal tuberculosis. Many cases of meningitis, which is deadly within hours. The workmen have tuberculosis from the dirt they dig around in, the farmers have it from their dogs and the infected milk. The majority of the people have galloping consumption. Moreover," he said, "the effect of the new drugs, of streptomycin for example, is nil. Did you know the knacker has tuberculosis? That the landlady has tuberculosis? That the landlady has tuberculosis? That her daughters have been to sanatoria on three occasions? Tuberculosis is by no means on the way out. People claim it is curable. but that's what the pharmaceutical industry says. In fact, tuberculosis is as incurable as it always was. Even people who have been inoculated against it come down with it. Often those who have it the worst are the ones who look so healthy that you wouldn't suspect they were ill at all. Their rosy faces are utterly at variance with their ravaged lungs. You keep running into people who've had to endure a cautery or, at the very least, a transverse lesion. Most of them have had their lives ruined by failed reconstructive surgery." We didn't go to the bakery. Straight home instead."
- Thomas Bernhard, Frost

US Soybean Export Council , National Institute of Nutrition launch "White Paper on the Soy Nutrition"

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 02 :
"That eating should be foremost about bodily health is a relatively new and, I think, destructive idea-destructive not just the pleasure of eating, which would be bad enough, but paradoxically of our health as well.

And so To promote the soy-based nutrition in public funded programs food processing industry, health and nutrition professionals academicians, scientists, agriculture experts and the soy food processing industry demanded that the Indian government should introduce soy products
in the feeding and social welfare programs which will make a huge impact on reducing malnutrition in our country. This was stated during stakeholders meeting at the launch of a "White Paper on the Soy Nutrition" in Le Meridien, Delhi today by USSEC, Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) , Soy Food Promotion & Welfare Association (SFPWA) in coordination with National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.

India suffers from a high burden of malnutrition across the spectrum of age, sex and socio economic background. The Public Distribution system (PDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the mid - day meal (MDM) programmes are some of the programmes that offer ready opportunity to reach the food and nutrition interventions to the under privileged populations. Soybean offers a great potential for developing value added health foods using appropriate processing technologies by the soy food processing industry. soybean can play a vitalrole in improving nutrition status of millions of urban and rural population in India.

Dr Director, India Soy Food Programme, US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) Ratan Sharma, said that soy is an outstanding source of low cost and high quality protein. It has highest protein density among all plant protein sources. Its protein quality is comparable to meat, milk and egg protein quality delivering all essential amino acids in right proportion for different age groups as prescribed by FAO and WHO, and it can be easily added to traditional dishes and cuisines throughout the country.

Soy can play an important role to reduce the malnutrition consequences in our country. It is an less expensive source of high quality protein with other important nutrients, minerals and vitamins and it can play a key role to combat the malnutrition in India as it increases muscle mass and weight, improves brain development, increases stamina, improves immunity, reduces fatigue and improves the overall health.

He further elaborated that in the year 2000, the US Department of Agriculture issued a ruling that soy protein can provide 100% of protein required in school lunch programs, replacing animal protein. As per Dr. Sharma, Indian population is predominantly vegetarian. Our diet is lacking in terms of quantity and quality of protein. Even the majority of non-vegetarians among us do not consume animal products on a daily basis in quantities sufficient to provide the recommended amount of protein. He further stated that Starting in 1935, Mahatma Gandhi became interested in soybeans as a source of low cost, high quality protein in the vegetarian diet he advocated. Dr. Sharma pointed out that our immediate requirement is to bridge the protein gap in India, and soy should be the lead protein source to bridge this gap.

Soymilk, tofu, soy flour and soy fortified wheat flour, soy nuggets, soy based Dal Analogue etc. are easily available in the Indian market and can be supplied in any quantity for the government feeding and social welfare programs. He suggested for a policy driven support for the inclusion of soy in the government feeding and social welfare programs.

Dr. T Longvah, Director, National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR said that whitepaper would act as the road map for the future prospects of improving food and nutritional security. He thanked all the participants who helped in preparing the whitepaper so informative and easy to understand. He mentioned that, the global soy food demand is expected to grow by many folds in the coming years. It can be included in many existing nutrition intervention programmes. Soybean is a rich source of good quality protein and the cost is too low. Besides nutritional benefits, there are reports that soybean also provide several therapeutic benefits too. Soybean is one of the very few plants that provide a high quality protein with minimum saturated fat.

The issue of mainstreaming soy into existing Govt. supplementary programmes is not in the purview of NIN, Hyderabad. For the purpose, all the stakeholders need to sit together and take a decision on its inclusion in these programmes.

Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we're opened, we're red."
― Clive Barker, Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three

"Countries in the Region have made commendable progress in tackling neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in recent years. India has been formally recognized as being yaws-free while elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem has been acknowledged in Maldives and Sri Lanka. But efforts must be scaled-up against NTDs if we are to meet our targets," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, said.
At least one NTD is endemic in each Member country of the WHO South-East Asia Region, while the Region bears the second highest burden of these debilitating infections in the world. The NTDs targeted for elimination in the South-East Asia Region by 2020 include lymphatic filariasis, yaws, leprosy and schistosomiasis, while visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar, is targeted for elimination by 2017.

"Like any other disease elimination or eradication programme, as we move towards the last mile of elimination, new issues and challenges are emerging that need to be carefully addressed to keep the elimination process on track. Key to achieving our goals is maintaining political commitment and resource allocation, strengthening surveillance, empowering and involving communities in elimination efforts, and maintaining a targeted approach," Dr Khetrapal Singh said at the Sixty-ninth Regional Committee meeting of WHO South-East Asia Region here.

The Regional Director expressed WHO's ongoing support to countries striving to lift the NTD burden, pledging the Organization's technical expertise in identifying barriers and finding innovative solutions, facilitating cross-border cooperation, and working with partners to support countries' efforts.

She also reiterated that NTD control, elimination and eradication efforts are an important part of realizing the Sustainable Development Goal of leaving no one behind and attaining universal health coverage, saying that it was only by extending services to marginalized populations that countries could achieve elimination targets.

I don't dawdle. I'm a surgeon. I make an incision, do what needs to be done and sew up the wound. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end.
[On writing.]
- Richard Saul Selzer . No one has the right to demand that your body be something other than what it is."
- Agnostic Zetetic

How innovating for emerging markets is set to disrupt the global surgical care industry

Thesynergyonline Health BBUreau

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 17 : "No one has the right to demand that your body be something other than what it is."
― Agnostic Zetetic

And so the growth of emerging markets is poised to transform the delivery of surgical care around the world by 2030, according to a new report. The emphasis will be on affordable technology for early diagnosis; portable modular equipment for minimally invasive and robotic surgery; and smart systems incorporating low-cost sensors and mobile technology to track clinical outcomes and improve team-based surgery.

The report summarises the findings of a workshop held in Boston earlier this year by product design and development firm Cambridge Consultants. It offers unique insight into the future of emerging markets surgical care – as seen through the eyes of industry leaders. And it looks at how these new approaches to healthcare will extend beyond emerging markets to disrupt and transform how affordable quality surgical care is delivered globally.

"More than 85 per cent of the world's population lives in emerging markets, yet many of these people have no access to affordable quality healthcare, particularly complex treatment like surgery," said Rahul Sathe, head of surgical innovation for emerging markets at Cambridge Consultants.

The report spells out the huge opportunities for technology disruption in emerging markets. Infrastructure and regulations are still being formed, and industry legacy is not particularly strong – offering a lower barrier to innovation compared with developed markets.

The primary role of technology will be twofold, says the report. It can extend the 'hospital ecosystem' across the continuum of care from early diagnosis and surgical intervention to postoperative monitoring. It can also ensure products and solutions are robust, usable and affordable – and unlock access to care.
The workshop delegates predict that patient expectations and hospital ecosystems in emerging markets will dramatically evolve and, in some cases, leapfrog developed markets. Even today, some hospitals in India have better outcomes for cardiac surgery than top hospitals in the US or UK. And top-tier hospitals in China are now being designed to be eco-friendly, sensor-rich and cloud-connected.

"Emerging markets will play a significant role in transforming our industry," said workshop delegate Agustin Zabulanes, Latin America marketing manager at Boston Scientific. "Local emerging market companies may provide stiff competition to multinational companies – but they may also prove to be powerful partners in global surgical care. Success will require industry players to evolve the way they do business, organise for innovation and use enabling technology."

The report says 'reverse innovation' offers developed markets the opportunity to benefit from emerging markets by learning new approaches to achieving healthcare affordability and efficiency – with lasting transformation coming from integrating new business models and innovation models. "As organisations evolve and succeed, innovating for emerging markets will enable industry to disrupt and transform how surgical care is delivered globally," said Sathe.

The initial phase of voluntary counselling and testing for workers—the VCT@WORK Initiative— shows encouraging results; and demonstrates that workplaces are "uniquely" placed to reduce the HIV testing gap.

DURBAN : An ILO report issued ahead of the International AIDS Conference in Durban , shows the Organization's VCT@WORK Initiative reached close to 5 million workers with face to face education on the benefits of HIV and AIDS testing in its initial phase. Following the outreach, between July 2013 and December 2015, almost 3 million workers were HIV tested; and over 85,000 found HIV positive were referred for treatment.

The ILO, UNAIDS and partners will be presenting the results of the initiative at several sessions during the AIDS Conference in Durban next week.

Welcoming the findings Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder said: "For the first time, we have results that clearly demonstrate the impact of a workplace response to HIV and AIDS. When workers have timely knowledge of their HIV status, they can take the right treatment and continue to be healthy and productive members of the workforce."

"The workplace offers a unique opportunity to expand HIV testing services," he added.

The initiative, launched by the ILO and UNAIDS at the International Labour Conference in 2013, was implemented in 34 countries through strategic partnerships and alliances formed between the key world of work actors, the private sector, networks of people living with HIV and national AIDS programmes.

"This is the kind of innovation needed to reach people with HIV services in their everyday lives," said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "This is the Fast-Track response in action - normalizing testing and ensuring more people know their HIV status and are linked with local care and support."

Around 60 per cent of the beneficiaries were men, confirming that workplaces have a huge potential to engage the male population, which is considered more difficult to reach with HIV information, testing, counselling and treatment.

Furthermore, 62 per cent of those reached with HIV information accessed HIV testing services. The figure demonstrates the efficacy of the communications effort on workplace behaviour change put in place by the ILO and its partners .

The success of the programme was aided by its implementation in workplaces which had a commitment to non-discrimination through HIV and AIDS workplace policy. This approach made workers comfortable that they will not lose their jobs, irrespective of the results; and that they will be receive all possible treatment, care and support in case they are HIV positive.

A strong communication strategy supported the Initiative and the ILO's Getting to Zero at Work campaign provided a solid basis for the implementation of the VCT@WORK Initiative. Communicating 'the benefits of testing early' helped convince workers to take the HIV test. Similarly, involving business and union leaders as well as celebrities was also found to be very effective.

As it stands, close to half of the people living with HIV are not aware of their status.

Building on the programme's initial success, the ILO plans to scale up the VCT@WORK initiative to help accelerate the global AIDS response over the next five years. As such, it will be a significant contribution to the 90-90-90 targets as per the new UNAIDS strategy: 90 per cent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 per cent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression, by the year 2021.

"People who end up with the good jobs are the proactive ones who are solutions to problems, not problems themselves, who seize the initiative to do whatever is necessary, consistent with correct principles, to get the job done."

No. of yoga practitioners soars by up
to 30% across metros in India: Survey

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, JUE 20: Students, stressed-out young professionals, CEOs and retirees have embraced yoga in large numbers as gymnasiums across metros have seen a spurt in yoga practitioners willing to attain health and toning benefits of this ancient system of exercise and spiritual development, according to an ASSOCHAM survey-cum-analysis.

"There has been a spurt in number of people that have taken up yoga by up to 30 per cent, most of whom have been inspired by many celebrities and media attention that it has garnered," noted a survey on 'Yoga or Gym,' conducted by the ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation in 10 metros - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.

ASSOCHAM representatives interacted with 100 gym trainers/fitness professionals and about 1,000 people sweating it out at the gymnasiums across the aforesaid cities to ascertain which is a better workout regime.

The survey was conducted during the course of past two months in wake of the International Day of Yoga celebrated globally on June 21.

Majority of the gym trainers said that there has been an increase in number of female clients by over 50 per cent since they began conducting yoga sessions at their gymnasium and in general the number of yoga practitioners has fuelled by about 25-30 per cent during the course of past one year.

On being asked which is a better workout regime, about 25 per cent gym regulars said they had switched to yoga after first few sessions owing to increased flexibility, toning, strengthening and other such benefits of meditation and breathing exercises, noted the ASSOCHAM survey.

Besides, many even said that yoga has helped them fight everything from addiction and lower back pain to diabetes and aging, in addition to boosting overall well-being and stress relief.

Additional benefits like improved digestion and concentration together with less of fatigue and tiredness has helped people in performing better at work and some even said that they no longer feel guilty if at all they skip going to gym by a day or two as yoga can be practised at home and even at office.

However, majority of gym trainers advised to combine yoga and gym sessions to get desired results of physical benefits and mental stimulation.

"Yoga has grown in India from an ancient spiritual practice to big business and premium lifestyle, considering that there are an estimated four crore yoga practitioners across the country spending about Rs 1,000 crore on designer yoga-wear, mats, towels, luxury retreats thereby promoting the fitness industry," said Mr D.S. Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM while releasing the findings of the ASSOCHAM survey.

"Yoga which can be traced back roughly 5,000 years, is a tradition that has stood the test of time, more so in a world of exercise trends and diet fads," said Mr Rawat.

"One of the key reasons for increased popularity of yoga is that of late it has developed as a panacea for the ailments of modern society — tech overload, disconnection and alienation, insomnia, stress and anxiety," he added.

"The sudden boom of interest in yoga will fuel the demand for getting more trained yoga instructors, yoga studios and gymnesiums across India in the coming future," further said Mr Rawat.

Yoga also holds significant potential to boost both domestic and foreign travellers' inflow, especially in places like Rishikesh and others to become certified yoga instructors’, demand of whom is likely to surge in wake of the growing popularity as yoga goes mainstream, highlighted the ASSOCHAM survey-cum-analysis.

"Don't wait for life to happen; life is happening now!"
? Kathryn E. Livingston, Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman's Quest for Balance, Strength, and Inner Peace

Companies are adding yoga at workplaces to boost productivity: Survey

"Life is made up of a collection of moments that are not ours to keep. The pain we encounter throughout our days spent on this earth comes from the illusion that some moments can be held onto. Clinging to people and experiences that were never ours in the first place is what causes us to miss out on the beauty of the miracle that is the now. All of this is yours, yet none of it is. How could it be? Look around you. Everything is fleeting.
To love and let go, love and let go, love and let go...it's the single most important thing we can learn in this lifetime."
- Rachel Brathen

Coffee, my delight of the morning; yoga, my delight of the noon. Then before nightfall, I run along the pleasant paths of the Jardin du Luxembourg. For when air cycles through the lungs, and the body is busy at noble tasks, creativity flows like water in a stream: the artist creates, the writer writes."
- Roman Payne

"Each asana is like a sound or letter in an alphabet. Every letter in an alphabet produces a unique sound vibration. Each asana vibrates at a specific frequency. When asanas are performed in sequence, beautiful phrases or sutras result, producing a mystical language."
- Sharon Gannon, The Art of Yoga

I like that: a little pressure on the understood boundaries of yourself. Sounded like something out of a self-awareness class, probably with yoga. See what kind of a pretzel you can tie yourself into and press on the understood...
I was raving, if only to myself."
Robin McKinley, Sunshine

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, JUNE 19 : "Who will not be delighted to behold the exotic scenery and flora of the barren lands of Himalayas. Similar is the power of Yog which beautifies the deserted life and fructifies hope in the shattered hearts. By taking refuge in Yog, the fallow mind will blossom into flowers indeed."

As per the ASSOCHAM recent estimates, there is about a 35 percent annual increase in demand for yoga learning in India with a growing publicity and health awareness. This demand trend will accelerate further to become multi-billion dollar market in the form of health clinics, ayurveda resorts, holiday camps, corporate training etc, conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) paper on "International Yoga Day".

"The Stone of Guilt in the River of the Mind, the block in the flow of intelligence.
~ Paramahamsa Nithyananda"
? Paramahamsa Nithyananda, Living Enlightenment

"Emotional baggage," which is carried over from the past, colors our perceptions. Likewise, past conclusions and beliefs, based on reasoning that may or may not have been accurate, also tint our perception of reality. Retaining our capacity for reason is common sense, but definite conclusions and beliefs keep us from seeing life as it really is at any given moment.
Emotional reactions can be unreasonable, and reason can be flawed. It's difficult to have deep confidence in either one, especially when they're often at war with each other. But the universal mind exists in the instant, in a moment beyond time, and it sees the universe as it literally is. It's the universe perceiving itself. It is, moreover, something we can have absolute confidence in, and with that confidence, we can maintain a genuinely positive attitude."
- H.E. Davey, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

"It is true that the subliminal in man is the largest part of his nature and has in it the secret of the unseeen dynamisms which explain his surface activities. But the lower vital subconscious which is all that this psycho-analysis of Freud seems to know, - and of that it knows only a few ill-lit corners, - is no more than a restricted and very inferior portion of the subliminal whole... to begin by opening up the lower subconscious, risking to raise up all that is foul or obscure in it, is to go out of one's way to invite trouble."
? Sri Aurobindo, Integral Yoga: Teaching and Method of Practice

"The undiscovered is not far away. It's not something to be found eventually. It is contained within what is right in front of us. The essence of reality is being born right now. It has never existed before. Reality is constant creation and destruction, and in this constant change is something unborn and undying, something that cannot be approached through the known or the past. It isn't seen through striving to become something based on ideals stemming from former experiences. It comes to that which is being, not striving. In this state of being in the moment, without the known, without knowing at all, with neither past nor future, is a space that is not filled with time. And in this space, the undiscovered and ever-changing moment exists—a moment containing all possibilities, the totality of existence, absolute reality. Reality is now, and in the now, we can experience the true nature of the universe and the universal mind."
? H.E. Davey

"In Japan, a number of time-honored everyday activities (such as making tea, arranging flowers, and writing) have traditionally been deeply examined by their proponents. Students study how to make tea, perform martial arts, or write with a brush in the most skillful way possible to express themselves with maximum efficiency and minimum strain. Through this efficient, adroit, and creative performance, they arrive at art. But if they continue to delve even more deeply into their art, they discover principles that are truly universal, principles relating to life itself. Then, the art of brush writing becomes shodo—the "Way of the brush"—while the art of arranging flowers is elevated to the status of kado—the "Way of flowers." Through these Ways or Do forms, the Japanese have sought to realize the Way of living itself. They have approached the universal through the particular."
- H.E. Davey, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

"Memorizing someone else's explanation of the truth isn't the same as seeing the truth for yourself. It is what it is—the memorization of second-hand knowledge. It is not your experience. It is not your knowledge. And no matter how much material is learned by rote, and no matter how eloquently we can speak about the memorized information, we're clinging to a description of something that's not ours. What's more, the description is never the item itself. By holding onto our impression of certain descriptions, we frequently are unable to see the real thing when it's right before our eyes. We are conditioned by memorizing and believing concepts—the truth of which we've never genuinely seen for ourselves."
- H.E. Davey, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

"Why they always look so serious in Yoga? You make serious face like this, you scare away good energy. To meditate, only you must smile. Smile with face, smile with mind, and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy. Even smile in your liver. Practice tonight at hotel. Not to hurry, not to try too hard. Too serious, you make you sick. You can calling the good energy with a smile.
(From Ketut Liyer, the Balinese healer)"
- Elizabeth Gilbert

"If Samkhya-Yoga philosophy does not explain the reason and origin of the strange partnership between the spirit and experience, at least tries to explain the nature of their association, to define the character of their mutual relations. These are not real relationships, in the true sense of the word, such as exist for example between external objects and perceptions. The true relations imply, in effect, change and plurality, however, here we have some rules essentially opposed to the nature of spirit.
"States of consciousness" are only products of prakriti and can have no kind of relation with Spirit the latter, by its very essence, being above all experience. However and for SamPhya and Yoga this is the key to the paradoxical situation the most subtle, most transparent part of mental life, that is, intelligence (buddhi) in its mode of pure luminosity (sattva), has a specific quality that of reflecting Spirit. Comprehension of the external world is possible only by virtue of this reflection of purusha in intelligence. But the Self is not corrupted by this reflection and does not lose its ontological modalities (impassibility, eternity, etc.). The Yoga-sutras (II, 20) say in substance: seeing (drashtri; i.e., purusha) is absolute consciousness ("sight par excellence") and, while remaining pure, it knows cognitions (it "looks at the ideas that are presented to it"). Vyasa interprets: Spirit is reflected in intelligence (buddhi), but is neither like it nor different from it. It is not like intelligence because intelligence is modified by knowledge of objects, which knowledge is ever-changing whereas purusha commands uninterrupted knowledge, in some sort it is knowledge. On the other hand, purusha is not completely different from buddhi, for, although it is pure, it knows knowledge. Patanjali employs a different image to define the relationship between Spirit and intelligence: just as a flower is reflected in a crystal, intelligence reflects purusha. But only ignorance can attribute to the crystal the qualities of the flower (form, dimensions, colors). When the object (the flower) moves, its image moves in the crystal, though the latter remains motionless. It is an illusion to believe that Spirit is dynamic because mental experience is so. In reality, there is here only an illusory relation (upadhi) owing to a "sympathetic correspondence" (yogyata) between the Self and intelligence."
? Mircea Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom

"Life is made up of a collection of moments that are not ours to keep. The pain we encounter throughout our days spent on this earth comes from the illusion that some moments can be held onto. Clinging to people and experiences that were never ours in the first place is what causes us to miss out on the beauty of the miracle that is the now. All of this is yours, yet none of it is. How could it be? Look around you. Everything is fleeting.
To love and let go, love and let go, love and let go...it's the single most important thing we can learn in this lifetime."
- Rachel Brathen

"Memorizing someone else's explanation of the truth isn't the same as seeing the truth for yourself. It is what it is—the memorization of second-hand knowledge. It is not your experience. It is not your knowledge. And no matter how much material is learned by rote, and no matter how eloquently we can speak about the memorized information, we're clinging to a description of something that's not ours. What's more, the description is never the item itself. By holding onto our impression of certain descriptions, we frequently are unable to see the real thing when it's right before our eyes. We are conditioned by memorizing and believing concepts—the truth of which we've never genuinely seen for ourselves."
- H.E. Davey, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

"Yoga talks about cat-pose, dog-pose, camel-pose, monkey-pose, bird-pose etc. Why there are so many animal poses? Animals release their emotions and tensions by movements based on their body sensations. But our amygdala in the brain is carrying the "fight or flight response"; it has forgotten the art of releasing the tensions. As human beings, when we are aware about the sensations, we can release that by aware, slow movements. If you do not give movements to the body parts, energy will be stuck and blood circulation will be disturbed. Gradually, that creates chronic physical and mental health problems."
? Amit Ray, Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style

"Some students are in a hurry to begin "real" pranayama. They go right to the later stages without first laying a quality foundation, and their practice often suffers. First find out what is. This is also part of the answer to the question Who am I?"
- Richard Rosen, The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama

"Kundalini means, according to Zeena 'She Who is Hidden,' and points to the dormant goddess in every human being's body. While the kundalini force is found in muladharachakra, she hypnotizes humans, like maya herself, and renders them slaves to the illusory. Kundalini can only awaken people if she travels up along the spine.'
--About Zeena Schreck by Malin Fitger 'Contemporary notions of Kundalini, its background and role within new Western religiosity,' University of Stockholm, 2004"
? Zeena Schreck, Demons of the Flesh: The Complete Guide to Left Hand Path Sex Magic

Nakamura Tempu Sensei viewed the mind as a segment of the body that could not be seen and the body as the element of the mind that was observable. He also likened the mind and body to a stream, with the mind as the source flowing down to the body. Whatever we drop in the stream will be carried down by the current. In like manner, our thoughts will influence the body and our well being."
? H.E. Davey
Yoga talks about cat-pose, dog-pose, camel-pose, monkey-pose, bird-pose etc. Why there are so many animal poses? Animals release their emotions and tensions by movements based on their body sensations. But our amygdala in the brain is carrying the "fight or flight response"; it has forgotten the art of releasing the tensions. As human beings, when we are aware about the sensations, we can release that by aware, slow movements. If you do not give movements to the body parts, energy will be stuck and blood circulation will be disturbed. Gradually, that creates chronic physical and mental health problems."
? Amit Ray, Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style

""…When you're in the darkness, know that the light will come. We are light and dark, sun and moon, male and female, yin and yang; life is composed of opposites, in a continuing cycle of change…. When you are in the light, don't step back into the darkness. Live in that light, and breathe it in fully. I've spent so much of my life going over and over the sadness and fear of the past. But we don't need to go there when we're not there. When we are in the light, be here, now."
? Kathryn E. Livingston, Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman's Quest for Balance, Strength, and Inner Peace

A positive attitude is most easily arrived at through a deliberate and rational analysis of what's required to manifest unwavering positive thought patterns. First, reflect on the actual, present condition of your mind. In other words, is the mind positive or not? We've all met individuals who perceive themselves as positive people but don't appear as such. Since the mind is both invisible and intangible, it's therefore easier to see the accurate characteristics of the mind through a person's words, deeds, and posture.
For example, if we say, "It's absolutely freezing today! I'll probably catch a cold before the end of the day!" then our words expose a negative attitude. But if we say, "The temperature is very cold" (a simple statement of fact), then our expressions, and therefore attitude, are not negative. Sustaining an alert state in which self-awareness becomes possible gives us a chance to discover the origins of negativity. In doing so, we also have an opportunity to arrive at a state of positiveness, so that our words and deeds are also positive, making others feel comfortable, cheerful, and inspired."
- H.E. Davey
.

"Possessing strength and stillness is a sign of balance: power and serenity combined in one moment. It's challenging enough to hold either one, let alone both, in perfect equipoise, but that is the goal if we want to be balanced."
- Sebastian Pole, Discovering the True You with Ayurveda: How to Nourish, Rejuvenate, and Transform Your Life

"Some students are in a hurry to begin "real" pranayama. They go right to the later stages without first laying a quality foundation, and their practice often suffers. First find out what is. This is also part of the answer to the question Who am I?"
- Richard Rosen, The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama

Maybe it's something to do with the movements: the Cat and then the Cow, the twist to the left and then to the right, the reaching up, and then bending to the ground, the constant training of the body to move one way, and then to move in the opposite way. Hatha: sun, moon opposites, dark and light, yin and yang. This must be key in the way yoga shapes the mind and heart, in the way it helps one to understand that every movement has a counter movement, that every action has an opposing action, that the happy parts of life will be met by the sad, and the sad, in turn will be met by the happy."
- Kathryn E. Livingston, Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman's Quest for Balance, Strength, and Inner Peace

"...You see I believe in that stuff to: yoga and mystical powers. I once knew a man who could kill himself on command. Can you believe that? . . . Why do you laugh? . . . Believe it! By will of his own mind, he could make his heart stop beating for good' My neighbor poised and looked seriously at me, searching in my eyes. '...You laugh!' he repeated once more… 'You laugh, but he was a master at it! He could commit suicide at his own will!'
Indeed, hearty laughter streamed through my nose. 'Could he do it perpetually?' I asked.
'Perpetually...?' My neighbor rubbed his waxy chin.
'I mean, is he still able to do it?'
'I'm not sure I understand.'
'Well? Then is he dead…?!'
My neighbor's puzzled face slowly began to transform into a look of realization. 'But sir,' he said, 'Of course he's dead! I mean to say... this man could kill himself on command, you see. And you don't come back from the dead!'
The two of us found ourselves crossing to the door so I could let my visitor out. I slapped him with friendliness on the shoulder.
'No, you don't come back from the dead,' I agreed."
- Roman Payne

The number of employee from the corporate world who seek yoga classes have gone up by about 35-40 per cent this year compared with last year (20 per cent), said Dr. B K Rao, Chairman of ASSOCHAM Health Committee Council. Many B-Schools are also taking the lead from corporate to have compulsory yoga modules to minimize the stress of the candidates.

According to the findings, nearly 53 per cent of corporate companies are participating in yoga sessions in their offices as stress management activities and many individuals are also opting for personalized yoga classes at home. The corporate industry is looking to promote healthier practices for their employees to boost productivity, adds the survey.

Increasingly demanding schedules and high stress levels are leading to depression or general anxiety disorders in individual lives and have wide ranging effects like daytime fatigue, physical discomfort, psychological stress, performance deterioration and increased absenteeism. Almost 60 to 65 per cent of executives are suffering from stress-related diseases, said Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM while releasing the survey.

ASSOCHAM co-chairman of Health Committee Council Dr H K Chopra said, "Yoga helps people to think clearly, sharpens intelligence, improves learning ability, helps cope with problems and produces better job performance". Having yoga in the workplace offers a convenient way for employees to have a balanced life and to fit a workout in, without having to leave the premises.

As per ASSOCHAM's corporate employees' survey result, around 45.5 per cent of the sample population are suffering from depression or general anxiety. Obesity is the second hard hit disease that was observed among the respondents, with 23 per cent of the sample corporate employees suffering from obesity alone can modify occupational morbidity, mortality and injury risks that can further affect workplace absence, disability, productivity and healthcare costs. High blood pressure (B.P) and diabetes are the third and fourth largest disease with a share of 9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively as suffered among the corporate employees. Spondolysis (5.5 per cent), heart disease (4 per cent), cervical (3.0 per cent), asthma (2.5 per cent), slip disk (1 per cent) and arthritis (1.5 per cent) are the diseases that are mostly suffered by corporate employees.

The following statistics are sad and shocking, nearly 40.5% of corporate employees sleep less than 6 hours in a day due to high stressed levels that arise out of tough targets set for themselves by employers and cause diseases like depression, hypertension, sugar etc.,
The demand for yoga instructors has increased in the last one year. The increase in awareness on yoga is helping the market grow. In India, a yoga instructor, can earn between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 60,000 a month, adds the paper.

Yoga is not only the greatest stress buster, but it is also an effective therapy option. It prevents and cures diseases and promotes general good health as it imparts mental, spiritual, and physical well being, said Dr. Rao.

As per the findings, Yoga sessions are introduced for an hour daily, from Monday to Friday, or for three days a week, depending on the employees' requirements. The benefits of a workplace wellness program, improve presenteeism, Control/reduces escalating health care costs, improve productivity, increases employee loyalty and reduces attrition rate, employees leading healthy lifestyles tend to take lower sick leaves with improved work performance and increased productivity that reduces overall costs of the organisation.

The report is based on the views of 1,500 corporate employees from 250 companies across 18 broad sectors like media, telecom and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) etc

The report included the major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabd, Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun etc. A little over 200 employee were selected from each city on an average.

Around 55 per cent of the survey respondents' fall under the age bracket of 20-29 years, followed by 30-39 years (26 per cent), 40-49 years (16 per cent), 50-59 years (2 per cent) and 60-69 years (approximately 1 per cent). The survey was able to target corporate employees from 18 broad sectors, with maximum share contributed by employees from IT/ITes sector (17 per cent).

Employees working in engineering and telecom sector contributed 9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively in the questionnaire. Nearly 6 per cent of the employees belonged from market research/KPO and media background each. Management, FMCG and Infrastructure sector employees share is 5 per cent each, in the total survey. Respondents from power and real estate sector contributed 4 per cent each. Employees from education and food & beverages sector provided a share of 3 per cent each. Advertising, manufacturing and textiles employees offered a share of 2 per cent each in the survey results.

Finally, the very heart of yoga practice is abhyasa – steady effort in the direction you want to go

The aim of yoga is to eliminate the control that material nature exerts over the human spirit, to rediscover through introspective practice what the poet T.S. Eliot called "the still point of the turning world." ~Barbara Stoler Miller

"A lion of truth never assumes anything without validity. Assumptions are quick exits for lazy minds that like to graze out in the fields without bother."
- Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

Thailand is first country in Asia to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis

Thesynergyonline Heath Bureau

NEW DELHI/BANKOK, JUNE 08 :
A not uncommon practice was to associate nationality with a particular disease, often sexually transmitted. For example, the English called syphilis "The French Disease"; the French called it "The Italian Disease"; the Italians called it "The Turkish Disease"; the Russians called it "The Polish Disease"; and both the Japanese and the Indians termed it "The Portuguese Disease." Only the Spanish accepted any blame, referring to it as "The Spanish Disease."
- Daniel N. Leeson, Opus Ultimum: The Story of the Mozart Requiem

And so Thailand on Wednesday received validation from World Health Organisation (WHO) for having eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, becoming the first country in Asia and the Pacific region and also the first with a large HIV epidemic to ensure an AIDS-free generation.

The Minister of Health of Thailand was presented with the certificate of validation at a ceremony which took place in New York on the eve of the United Nations General-Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS.

"This is a remarkable achievement for a country where thousands of people live with HIV. Thailand's unwavering commitment to core public health principles has made elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis a reality, a critical step for rolling back the HIV epidemic. Thailand has demonstrated to the world that HIV can be defeated," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, said presenting the certificate of validation to Thailand in New York.

"Thailand has turned around its epidemic and transformed the lives of thousands of women and children affected by HIV," said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. "Thailand's progress shows how much can be achieved when science and medicine are underpinned by sustained political commitment."

"By investing in strong maternal and child health care and national AIDS prevention measures, Thailand has demonstrated there are ways to protect children from the global AIDS pandemic response," said Karin Hulshof, Regional Director, UNICEF East Asia-Pacific Region. "Thailand's achievement inspires its neighbours to greater action. There are still 21,000 infants who are born with HIV each year in the Asia-Pacific region, and more than 200,000 children who are growing up with HIV."

Untreated, women living with HIV have a 15-45 per cent chance of transmitting the virus to their children during pregnancy, labour, delivery or breastfeeding. However, that risk drops to just over 1 per cent if antiretroviral medicines are given to both mothers and children throughout the stages when infection can occur.

According to Thailand's Ministry of Public Health 98 per cent of all pregnant women living with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy and the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been reduced to less than 2 per cent. In 2000, an estimated 1000 children became infected with HIV. In 2015, the number of children who became infected with HIV through mother to child transmission was reduced to 85, a decline of more than 90 per cent, a significant achievement in a country where an estimated 450 000 people were living with HIV in 2014.

At the same time, sustained efforts and success in preventing new HIV infections have helped reduce HIV among women of childbearing age. According to Thailand's health authorities, between 2000 and 2014, the annual number of women newly infected with HIV fell from 15 000 to 1 900 – a 87 per cent reduction. Thailand's Universal Health Coverage framework ensured essential health services were available to both rich and poor. The country's commitment to equitable access has ensured that both Thai citizens and migrants are covered for HIV treatment.

Thailand's commitment to the UNAIDS-led 'Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV Infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive', combined with the Government's decision to provide all pregnant women – including documented and undocumented migrant workers – free antenatal care, delivery and services for HIV and syphilis pushed treatment coverage rates up, culminating in validation of elimination of mother-to-child transmission.

Thailand's pioneering success and leadership demonstrates how countries can make real change when good policy is followed up with high-level commitment. WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF will continue to work with other countries in the region, along with partners to replicate Thailand's success.

"The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm."
- Hippocrates

Maldives and Sri Lanka eliminate lymphatic filariasis

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, JUNE 03 : In a significant progress against neglected tropical diseases in WHO South-East Asia Region, Maldives and Sri Lanka have eliminated lymphatic filariasis, a disease that was crippling people for decades, forcing them to lead a life of stigma, discrimination and poverty.

"The achievement by Maldives and Sri Lanka demonstrates the resolve of these countries and the Region as a whole to eliminate all neglected tropical diseases, which have no reason to continue and mar the lives of people," Dr Poonam Khretrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region, said.

The success in Maldives and Sri Lanka follows intensified mosquito control efforts; treatment of the infected population, disability prevention and control; strengthening of surveillance; and closely monitoring and evaluating these efforts which together helped eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem.

"The neglected tropical disease (NTD) is typically of the 'neglected' population, the poor and the marginalised. By eliminating this NTD as a public health problem, Maldives and Sri Lanka have shown the way for reaching these populations with other health interventions, much needed to improve their overall health," DrKhetrapal Singh said.

Eliminating NTDs is also critical to sustainable development goals which emphasises on 'no one being left behind'.

"Maldives is committed to enhancing health and wellbeing of its population. Achieving the goal of eliminating lymphatic filariasis, as a public health problem, has been possible with tireless efforts of hundreds of health workers across the island nation," MsIruthisham Adam, Minister of Health, Maldives, said.

"Lymphatic filariasis elimination as a public health problem in Sri Lanka is a major public health success which has been possible with our strong commitment, dedication of our health workforce and active participation and support of the community," DrRajithaSenaratne, Minister of Health, Sri Lanka, said.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is believed to have been endemic in Maldives since 12th and 13th century and is traced back to much earlier in Sri Lanka, with the mosquitos transmitting the bug found in abundance across the two countries.

Commonly known as elephantiasis, LF occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. Infection is usually acquired in childhood and the painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations appear much later in life, often in the form of elephantiasis which causes permanent disability. These patients suffer the disease and also suffer mental, social and financial losses contributing to stigma and poverty.

In 2012, the WHO neglected tropical diseases roadmap set the year 2020 as a target for achieving elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem. For LF elimination, WHO's strategy is based on two key components - stopping the spread of infection through large-scale annual treatment of entire populations at risk in an area or region where infection is present; and alleviating the suffering caused by lymphatic filariasis through increased disease management and disability prevention measures.
In the South-East Asia Region, WHO has been prioritising finishing the task of eliminating diseases on the verge of elimination. Following Maldives and Sri Lanka's success, LF endemic countries working towards elimination is now reduced to seven in the region.

"the wretcheder one is, the more one smokes; and the more one smokes, the wretcheder one gets—a vicious circle."
― George du Maurier, Peter Ibbetson

NEW DELHI, JUNE 01 : Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. Consuming any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer - including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Smokeless tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don't consume tobacco, exposure to second-hand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer, and many other serious health problems.

Dr. Meenu Walia, Senior Medical Oncologist & Cancer Specialist, says, "The tobacco problem in India is peculiar, with consumption in a variety of smokeless and smoking forms. Men use more smoked tobacco, women are more likely to use smokeless (chewed) tobacco, and beedis are smoked more than cigarettes."

There are many facts to the tobacco problem in India. Tobacco related diseases are preventable, but are still a leading cause of deaths worldwide. The WHO (World Health Organization) says that every year, nearly six million people die because of tobacco use (that is about 10% of all deaths) and 0.6 million of these occur in non-smokers due to second-hand smoke. India is the second largest consumer of tobacco globally and accounts for approximately one-sixth of the world's tobacco-related deaths.

Tobacco use is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, apart from peripheral vascular disease and hypertension. Second-hand smoke (SHS) has also been shown to cause adverse health effects in people of all ages. SHS is three to four times more toxic per gram than mainstream tobacco smoke. It kills 6,00,000 people each year and in India, 52 per cent of adults are exposed to SHS at home. The toxic chemicals from SHS cling to rugs, curtains, clothes, food, furniture and other materials even in the presence of windows, air filters. They coat the surfaces of rooms, materials and smokers belonging, and are sometimes referred as third-hand smoke.

"Overtime, a person becomes physically and emotionally addicted to the nicotine found in tobacco. This physical dependence causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when one tries to quit. Studies have shown that to quit and stick to it, smokers must deal with both the physical and mental dependence. No matter how old one is, and how long one has smoked, quitting will definitely help you live longer and become healthier. To get started, you can enrol in an anti-smoking support program. Hospitals, health departments, centres and work sites often offer programs," Dr. Walia adds.

If you don't feel ready to stop smoking completely, your GP may suggest a method of quitting known as nicotine-assisted reduction to stop. This involves using NRT to cut down before you eventually stop smoking. An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine without m

"Change in dietary habits from traditional to western, increasing intake of processed/ preserved/packaged foods and decreasing consumption of raw vegetables and fruits are factors that are being recognized as probable risk factors.

"Do I fear death? No, I am not afraid of being dead because there's nothing to be afraid of, I won't know it. I fear dying, of dying I feel a sense of waste about it and I fear a sordid death, where I am incapacitated or imbecilic at the end which isn't something to be afraid of, it's something to be terrified of."- Christopher Hitchens

Another hazardous factor is dangerous industrial and environmental toxicants that are rampant in our air and water bodies and find their way into our fruits and vegetables. Excessive use of pesticides also pollutes fruits and vegetables, as does the use of chemicals that is used for artificial ripening of the fruits and vegetables," adds Dr Mukhopadhyay, explaining the probable causes for rising incidence of cancers.

"Maybe you should say goodbye, Cal.'
'No.'
'It might be important.'
'It might make her die."
― Jenny Downham, Before I Die

Consumption of packaged foods has been a regular practice of lifestyles in the west where incidence of colorectal cancers has traditionally been high. Increasing urbanization and convenience is prompting more and more Indians today to adopt western lifestyles. Eating lots of red or processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer, stomach and pancreatic cancers. Another reason for the rise in cancer incidence is the high consumption of alcohol, smoking and tobacco.

"Lack of awareness is one of the leading challenges faced by India in fighting cancer. A majority of diagnoses in India happen in advanced stages (stages 3 or 4) unlike the West where regular screenings have ensured that most cases are diagnosed in early stages and treated. Delay in diagnosis often means that a treatable disease becomes untreatable. Many people, especially in rural areas, tend to see local medical practitioners who might lack sufficient knowledge of the disease," says Dr. Mukhopadhyay.

"But all that is warm will go cold. My ears will fall off and my eyes will melt. My mouth will be clamped shut. My lips will turn to glue."
...No taste or smell or touch or sound.Nothing to look at. Total emptiness for ever."
― Jenny Downham, Before I Die

According to the World Cancer Report 2014, commissioned by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO's research body, cancers figure among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012. While the 5 most common cancers among men in 2012 were lung, prostate, colorectum, stomach, and liver cancer; among women the 5 most common sites diagnosed were breast, colorectum, lung, cervix, and stomach cancer. A study has revealed that in 2007 Kolkata had topped the metros in new lung cancer cases.

"Indian cities and urban centres have witnessed major lifestyle and behavioral shifts including greater independence of women and their increased participation in professional fields. This has helped delay marriages, pregnancies, reduced the number of pregnancies as well as duration of breast feeding while increasing consumption of oral contraceptives. At the same time, a turn towards sedentary lifestyles, increased obesity, smoking and drinking are all factors that contribute to increasing risk of breast cancer among women," says Dr Mukhopadhyay. It is estimated that by 2030 the number of new cases of breast cancer in India will reach just under 2,00,000 per year.

What is scary is the estimate that cases are expected to rise by about 70 per cent over the next 2 decades, something that calls for urgent attention on prevention and lifestyle modification. It is predicted that by the end of 2020, over 10 million people would die globally each year because of cancers with 70 per cent deaths from the developing countries only. WHO believes that around one third of cancer deaths are due to the 5 leading behavioral and dietary risks which are High body mass index; Low fruit and vegetable intake; Lack of physical activity; Tobacco consumption; Alcohol intake.

A sedentary lifestyle that includes lack of exercise, eating junk foods, inadvertent use of chemicals in foods can increase the risk of cancer. Keeping a healthy body weight can help reduce the risk of bowel, breast (postmenopausal), kidney, womb, esophageal, pancreatic and gall bladder cancers. Therefore, adopting such as regular exercise, eating food on time, intake of nutritious food, quitting habits like smoking and alcohol can help in preventing cancer.

Without belief, we would be left with nothing but an overwhelming doom, every single day. And it will beat you. I didn't fully see, until the cancer, how we fight every day against the creeping negatives of the world, how we struggle daily against the slow lapping of cynicism. Dispiritedness and disappointment, these were the real perils of life, not some sudden illness or cataclysmic millennium doomsday. I knew now why people fear cancer: because it is a slow and inevitable death, it is the very definition of cynicism and loss of spirit.

So, I believed."
― Lance Armstrong, It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life

Finally, "An ounce of cancer prevention is worth a ton of cancer cure."
― Robert A. Wascher, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27 : "We are living in times that demand more and more of our brains and muscles, of our nerves and physical energy. Only those who are strong and know how to keep it so, can stand the wear and tear. It pays to stop once in a while to look over our machinery and oil the parts that need it."- Adrian Peter Schmidt

And so Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), World Wellness Foundation and Expressions India jointly organized an interactive session on Mind Wellness and Happiness at Workplace with focus on heart protection and cancer prevention for the benefit of employees of public sector enterprises.

While welcoming, Dr U.D. Choubey, Director General, SCOPE said that employees of PSUs are working in a global competitive environment and undergo a lot of stress and strain in performing their day-to-day duties. This causes hypertension, diabetes and lifestyle related problems which lead to a number of health problems.

He urged the employees to adopt a healthy and disciplined lifestyle to combat stress in the fast changing environment.

Dr Choubey told that wellness, recognition and limelight are only one part of life whereas the most important part covers health. Therefore, PSUs employees must learn the art and science of healthy living which Wellness programme addresses.

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 06 :
"Death straps me to the hospital bed, claws its way onto my chest and sits there.I didn't know it would hurt this much. I didn't know that everything good that's ever happened in my life would be emptied out by it." - Jenny Downham, Before I Die

And so lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths across the world, characterized by low survival rates and aggressive malignancies. While lung cancer was considered uncommon in India till the last decade, its numbers have risen alarmingly in recent years, with a large number of non-smokers also falling prey to the deadly disease.

Dr Chanchal Goswami, Chief Co-ordinator, Oncology Services, Medica Superspeciality Hospital, Kolkata says it is highly important to educate people about the disease, the need to minimize risk factors and ensure early seeking of medical attention in case of symptoms like persistent cough accompanied by weight loss and fever.

"The past few years have witnessed a spike in numbers of lung cancer patients in India. The incidence has risen at an alarming rate of up to 15 per cent over the past decade. While there is no clear evidence of the exact cause of this rise, we take into account high prevalence of smoking aided by factors such as increasing environmental pollution and increasing exposure to chemical substances as the plausible causes," says Dr Chanchal Goswami.

Another trend characteristic to India is the disease's prevalence in relatively younger men and women as compared to western countries. While the average age of lung cancer patients in the west is the mid 60s, in India this is much lower. In fact a lot of patients are being diagnosed in their early 50s.

"Unfortunately, late diagnosis remains a norm rather than exception in India where people often hesitate to visit doctors. The disease is also marked by low survival rates, unlike other cancers whose survival rates have increased in recent years due to better treatment modalities," adds Dr Goswami.

Of equal pertinence is the steady increase in numbers of non-smokers falling prey to lung cancer, once considered an exclusive ailment of smoke addicts. A large share of non-smoking patients are women who might have had exposure to second hand smoke all their lives at home or even no exposure at all in some cases.

"This does not mean that smoking is any less harmful. While 90% of the risk for lung cancer is attributable to exposure to smoke – both direct and passive – other factors do seem to play an increasing role too. These include exposure to carcinogens like arsenic, pesticides, asbestos and harmful particulate material floating in the smoky and deadly air of our highly polluted cities," opines Dr Goswami.

Smoking doesn't just harm the smoker himself. It harms the environment around him, causing many people to inhale the dangerous fumes emanating from his cigarette butt. At the same time, long-term smoking may also cause some kind of genetic mutation that can be inherited by the next generation, making the person highly susceptible to lung cancer. So, while you as a smoker may be lucky and not suffer from lung cancer, your child may inherit the mutated smokers' gene from you and may go on to suffer from the deadly disease even while being a non-smoker himself/herself.

Ban on public smoking, and pictorial warnings have been the right measures initiated in recent years in India. More steps are needed to nail home the point among youngsters that smoking is 'NOT COOL'. Unfortunately, even as mass campaigns are being initiated against cigarette smoking, the repackaging and revival of the hookah culture among urban Indians is a worrying trend. The mushrooming of hookah parlors and bars across our urban landscape neutralizes all successes made against the cigarette. There is also a note of concern for increasing number of young urban woman taking to smoking.

Apart from taking radical steps to reduce prevalence of smoking – cigarettes, cigars as well as hookahs, steps also need to be taken to improve diagnosis and early intervention.
Due to rampant prevalence of tuberculosis in India, cases of lung cancer often get mistaken for tuberculosis and even treated for the same in initial days. Most lung cancer cases are detected in late stages by the time it is too late for treatment and cure.

"With symptoms such as fever, cough, weight loss and anorexia common to both tuberculosis and lung cancer, it is equally important for both patients and medical practitioners to stay alert to other indicators such as age of patient, history of smoking, or hoarseness in the voice. These indicators can point to the possibility of lung cancer early and ensure timely treatment," informs Dr Goswami.

Say No to Smoking: Survival rates of lung cancer patients remain low in India as also across the world. Most lung cancers in India are aggressive and progress fast. In such circumstances, minimizing risk remains the main option. And quitting smoke – all kinds of smoke be it cigarette, hookah or cigars -- is the primary risk reducing method.
Reduce exposure to polluted air: Wear masks on the roads to minimize inhaling of dangerous chemicals and particulate material. Also, select low pollution phases of the day such as early morning for activities like walking and exercising outdoor.
Keep Alert for Symptoms: Early diagnosis can go a long way in saving or prolonging life of patients. Symptoms such as shortness of breath accompanied by fever, cough, bronchitis or hoarseness of voice should never be ignored. In India these symptoms are often mistaken and treated for tuberculosis. This calls for greater alertness and awareness. The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domesticated subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term encompasses both feral and pet varieties and is also sometimes used to describe wild canids of other subspecies or species. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures.

"We progress a step farther, in each tick of the clock"
― Ronnie Cornelisz

Progress towards Family planning goals significant but needs to pick up pace

THesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 28 :
More number of women around the world now have access to modern contraceptive method however this progress is slow on keeping pace with the projections made at the 2012 London summit on family planning.

According to the 'FP2020 Commitment to Action 2014–2015' Progress Report, although an additional 24.4 million women and girls now have access to modern methods of contraception, this is 10 million fewer than the benchmark for 2015 projected at the time of the 2012 London Summit.

"We progress a step farther, in each tick of the clock"
― Ronnie Cornelisz

There is an increasing concern that India, one of the 69 FP2020 focus countries committed to FP 2020 goals, has to catch up on accelerating the modern contraceptive prevalence rate (a measure of the percentage of women who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any form of modern contraception) that would benefit millions of women and girls who have never had access before, including the poorest, the most vulnerable, and the hardest to reach. Apart from India, nine other countries that need to increase modern contraceptive rates include Pakistan and Philippines which are home to 50% of the women of reproductive age across the FP2020 focus countries.

As per the progress report, in the last year alone, 80 million unintended pregnancies were prevented, 26.8 million unsafe abortions were averted, and 111,000 women's and girls' lives were saved due to usage of modern, effective methods of family planning.
The total global family planning expenditure is approximately US$12 per modern contraceptive user per year. Almost half of expenditures occur in just five countries— Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Bangladesh—and these five countries account for 70% of modern contraceptive users among the FP2020 focus countries.

In April 2015 the FP2020 Reference Group convened for a milestone meeting in New Delhi, India. After reviewing the progress of the initiative to date and assessing the need to fast-track efforts, the Reference Group urged partners to reinvigorate their FP2020 commitments with more ambitious objectives and innovative, practical strategies to meet them.

India has since then taken a major step in the right direction by approving injectable contraceptives for use in the public health system. This landmark decision expands the basket of choice for millions of Indian women, who will now have access to one of the world's most popular and effective contraceptive methods.

In continuation with the vision of expanding the basket of choice, a number of new contraceptive methods is being planned to be introduced. Large scale pilots in India, Zambia, Malawi and Madagascar, will introduce four new product lines: a contraceptive gel, new barrier methods, a hormonal intrauterine system (IUS), and intravaginal rings (IVR). Most of these methods are woman-initiated, and each of them has key benefits that address women's concerns.

As per Ms Poonam Muttreja, Reference group member FP2020 and Executive Director Population Foundation of India, "To achieve the FP2020 goal, India must increase the number of users of modern methods of contraception so that a greater proportion of all women and girls of reproductive age are served. Offering more types of modern methods in family planning programs will result in higher percentages of contraceptive use. Each additional 1% point increase in the modern contraceptive prevalence rate can translate to 3.3 million additional women and help achieve FP2020's goal and enable 120 million more women and girls to use contraceptives by 2020.

Health tips:

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 26 :
"[G]rowing into your future with health and grace and beauty doesn't have to take all your time. It rather requires a dedication to caring for yourself as if you were rare and precious, which you are, and regarding all life around you as equally so, which it is. (267-268)"
― Victoria Moran, Younger by the Day: 365 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Body and Revitalize Your Spirit

And so Mr J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare announced four new IT-based initiatives on Good Governance Day, to mark the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Shri Madan Mohan Malaviya and birthday of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, here today. He was speaking at the launch of the AIIMS OPD Transformation Project which envisages the use of IT to provide ease to patients and citizens while accessing services at AIIMS. This is being supported by the Tata Consultancy services as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR) initiative.

Enumerating the first of the initiatives, the Health Minister announced 'Kilkari'. A major IT initiative, Kilkari is an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly audio messages to families about pregnancy, child birth and child care. Each pregnant woman and infant's mother, registered in Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS), a web- enabled name-based system to monitor and ensure delivery of full spectrum of services to all pregnant women and children, would receive weekly voice messages relevant to the stage of pregnancy or age of the infant. The 72 messages would reach the targeted beneficiaries from the 4th month of pregnancy until the child is one year old. On an average, the duration of each message is two minutes.

Such messages will empower and educate women and parents to help create a better environment in maternal and child health. This service will be provided free to the beneficiaries. In the first phase of implementation, such messages would be sent to the pregnant women and infants' mothers in six States in Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and HPDs of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. They are being developed in Hindi, English and Odiya languages in the first phase, to be later expanded to other languages to cover the entire country and would benefit over 2 crore pregnant women and 2 crore infants, annually. Dr. Anup K Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of MSME announced that Indian MSMEs are increasingly becoming more vibrant, which has resulted in their increasing share to the country's GDP, employment and productivity. He said that the Government is constantly working towards further enhancing the capabilities of the Indian SME sector. He added that the true victory of policy makers in the SME space will be to see these enterprises' transition from small to large enterprises. The Ministry of MSME is prepared to work towards this goal with support from various stakeholders.

The Health Minister also stated that a new mobile-based application, Mobile Academy, has been developed through which about 9000,000 ASHAs will be trained using mobile services. This will aid in enhancing their inter-personal skills. Once registered, ASHAs can access the 240-minute course via their mobile phones. They can then complete the standardized course at their convenience. Digital bookmarking technology enables ASHAs to complete the course at their own pace. The course is divided into eleven chapters each containing four lessons. There is a quiz at the end of each chapter. ASHAs successfully completing the course by securing more than minimum prescribed marks will receive a Certificate of completion from the Government.

As continuation of the Ministry's new IT-based initiatives, Mr Nadda informed about making the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) more patient-centric. A dedicated toll free number, 1 8 0 0 - 1 1 – 6 6 6 6, with a call centre is being started to provide round the clock support for patient counselling and treatment support services. This call centre will have trained personnel to provide feedback to patients and also link or refer chest symptomatic persons to RNTCP services. Under this initiative, callers can give a missed call or call to get complete support for diagnosis, treatment and support for the completion of treatment on the national toll free number, the Minister informed. This initiative is being started in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.

Mr Nadda also announced 'M-Cessation'. This will be an IT-enabled tool to help tobacco users to quit tobacco. Built on a helpline concept, it will register beneficiaries on the basis of a missed call. The counselling would be done through a two-way SMS process, the Minister informed.

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 27 :
" The aware do not die;
The unaware are as though dead already."
― Anonymous, The Dhammapada

Arthritis and wear and tear of joints may be unavoidable as we grow older, but with little steps, precaution and some remedial measures it is possible to retain movement and maintain good quality of life. This was the message sent by a unique 'Patient Awareness Forum' conducted by Dr Rajeev K Sharma, Senior Consultant, Joint Replacement, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.

The 'Joint Patients Forum' is a unique initiative that brings together patients, doctors and people who have undergone joint replacement procedures to discuss their concerns, share their successes and clarify their doubts with experts.

The Forum has been organized to mark 6000 successful joint replacement procedures conducted by Dr Sharma. The doctor will hold an open house with people suffering from joint ailments and offer his expert advice to them on how not to allow joint ailments hijack your life.

The forum will also be attended by patients going through the recovery phase of a joint replacement surgery and will get a chance to share their experiences with others while seeking doctors' advice on how to manage their body post a replacement surgery.

Dr Sharma, the man behind the idea of the awareness meet, says this platform is an effort to advise patients who are suffering from joint ailments and help those who have undergone joint replacement surgeries live as normal a life as possible.

"Osteoarthritis or age-related wear and tear of joints is inevitable. In some people it happens faster, in fortunate ones it happens relatively slowly. We want to educate people that with healthy lifestyle, weight control and regular exercise this wear and tear can be slowed down. Arthritic joints should not mean an end to productive life. Sometimes arthritis can be managed with medication and lifestyle changes, but when symptoms do not improve with nor-surgical interventions, joint replacement surgery should be considered seriously," says Dr Sharma.

A team of doctors and physiotherapists will give lectures on exercise regimen, facts about arthritis, the right diet to follow, and about taking care of muscles and ligaments to keep joints fit. The forum is also open to people who are interested in seeking advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent joint-related problems.

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 23 :
A 5-day conference and exhibition titled Tibetan Medical System and Astro-Science with a theme "Awakening the Sanctity of Life: Healing Mind, Healing Body," hosted by Tibet House, the cultural Centre His Holiness the Dalai Lama opened here on Friday.

The programme on world's oldest known healing and astro science is being jointly organised by Tibet House, the Cultural Centre of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute (TMAI), Dharamsala. The venue for it is Tibet House, Cultural Centre of H H the Dalai Lama, 1 Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003. The conference and exhibition was inaugurated by the Prof. Lokesh Chandra, president Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)

"The integration of modern science with Buddhist science, astrology and all other sources of knowledge could have a huge impact in finding sources of treatments to common mental disorders. Tibetan Buddhism has a very deep and varied knowledge of psychology. These findings can be placed in front of the scientists to be experimented whether Buddhist findings are accurate or not." said Prof Lokesh Chandra,President ICCR. While Inaugurating the Five day Conference and Exhibition here today.

"Interest in traditional medicines like Tibetan and Ayurveda are renewing and growing exponentially due to the adverse drug reactions and economic burden associated with modern system of medicine. Integration of Tibetan traditional medicine with ayurveda and allopathy, especially in the treatment of lifestyle diseases and post operative care receive more attention In recent times, the interest in tradional medicines has led to Scientists researching and evaluating herbs. Doctors are integrating ayurveda and yoga into mainstream allopathic medicine, giving rise to 'Integrative Medicine', a new approach to medicine and healthcare that rests on building synergies between traditional and modern medicine." Said Prof Lokesh.

"The five day exhibition on Budhist traditional medicine and astro science is being organised In a bid to preserve and showcase the rich dynamic medical heritage of the world and promote awareness about the. The five day program shall include guest lectures, a seminar with experts from various medical traditions, exhibitions and workshops, the creation of a Medicine Buddha sand mandala, cultural shows and screenings, The major highlight shall be free health and Astrology consultancy by experts and Tibetan food stalls . The programme will also serve as a platform for medical diagnosis and the sale of herbal medical products." Said Geshe Dorji Damdul, Director Tibet house, New Delhi.

"The three main objectives of the conference are to explore the various methods of improving mental health, to exchange the ideas of different approaches and identify the common aim in the context of improving the human psychology by bringing the different religious and mental systems together on one platform," said Damdul.

"The Tibetan medical system is one of the world's oldest known medical traditions. It is more than 2500 years old and It is an integral part of Tibetan culture and has been developed through many centuries. Tibetan medicine is known for treating digestive, cardiovascular, and rheumatoid ailments. The importance of this system has been recognised by the Government of India. It has passed legislation in the Parliament to bring this rich Tibetan medical tradition into the country's streams of practice, as a distinct medical system." "" said Mr Tashi Tsering Puri, , Director Development Manager Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharmasala

"The Tibetan medical system is very close to the heart of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as one of the treasures of the ancient wisdom culture of Tibet.

He emphatically advises the Tibetan medical institutions to be actively engaged in undertaking research and in bringing forth innovative ways of improving upon this ancient system of healing. Such encouragement has led to the tremendous development of Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute's (TMAI) Department of Pharmacy, to create more medicines and herbal products. "" said Mr. Tashi Tsering Puri

World Arthritis Day' 2015: 'It's
in your hands, take actions'

'

Thesynrgyonline Health Bureau

GURGAON, OCTOBER 12 :

Rahul, a 14-year-old boy from a very poor family of Bihar suffered from chronic pain and inflammation of the joints, making his life extremely difficult and restricting him to a wheelchair. After doctors in his native failed to detect the cause of his disease, he was brought to Paras Hospital, Gurgaon where his condition was diagnosed as Juvenile Inflammatory Arthritis.

After treatment at Paras hospitals, Rahul is now able to walk and plays like any other children of his age and leads an independent life.

When we think about Arthritis, the usual reference is to the age-related wear and tear of the joints that afflicts almost all the elderly people. However, there are other more pernicious, though rarer forms of Arthritis that needs urgent attention and awareness.

"Arthritis is often associated with old age and sometimes even neglected as an inevitable outcome of advancing age. The age-related wear and tear of joints is known as osteoarthritis. Though osteoarthritis is the predominant form of arthritis, it is not the only form.

Unfortunately, there is glaring lack of awareness in India about other types of arthritis, some of which can afflict younger people. For example, Juvenile Inflammatory Arthritis is a rare auto-immune disorder that afflicts young children, and causes inflammation and pain in the joints. If left untreated, it can cause debilitating disability," said Dr. Indrajit Agrawal, Head, Department of Rheumatology, Paras Hospital, Gurgaon.

On World Arthritis Day, Paras Hospital, Gurgaon highlighted some rare and difficult forms of the disease like Rahul's which are very less talked about in our country. The good part is that most forms of the disease can be managed and controlled with timely medical intervention and patients can resume almost normal lifestyles with some care and caution provided the patient seek an early intervention with Rheumatologists.

30 year old, Michela is living with Spondyloarthropathy, a type of arthritis that attacks the spine as well as joints of arms and legs. In some people, it may also affect the skin, eyes and the intestines. The main symptom of the disease is low back pain which can be confused with a wide range of other disorders. This sometimes causes a delay in diagnosis. This condition mostly afflicts teenagers and young adults.

Relapsing Seronegative Symmetrical Synovitis with Pitting Edema is another rare arthritic condition that is most common in the elderly. This condition is characterized by inflammation and swelling of peripheral joints such as wrists and ankles symmetrically. Mrs. Suresh Khurana, 74 years old suffers from this disorder was also present at the press conference and discussed her condition.

There are more than 200 different types of arthritis and some of which like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis can be devastating and crippling for the patients. However with the modern treatments including Biologics patients can be treated very successfully. But, it is important to seek medical intervention as soon as symptoms arise.

"Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity. "
- Hippocrates

5-day programme to promote
Tibetan medicine from Oct 23

Thesynergyonline Health Bureau

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 10 :
In order to preserve and showcase the rich dynamic medical heritage of the world and promote awareness about the Tibetan Medical System and Astro-Science, a 5-day program on: "Awakening the Sanctity of Life: Healing Mind, Healing Body," is being organised in the Capital from October 23 -27, 2015 .

"The 5-day program shall include guest lectures, a seminar with experts from various medical traditions, exhibitions and workshops, the creation of a Medicine Buddha sand mandala, cultural shows and screenings, The major highlight shall be free health and Astrology consultancy by experts and Tibetan food stalls . The programme will also serve as a platform for medical diagnosis and the sale of herbal medical products, said Geshe Dorji Damdul, Director Tibet house, New Delhi.

"The Tibetan medical system is one of the world's oldest known medical traditions. It is more than 2500 years old and It is an integral part of Tibetan culture and has been developed through many centuries. Tibetan medicine is known for treating digestive, cardiovascular, and rheumatoid ailments, " said Geshe Dorji Damdul.

As a result, it is becoming very popular alternative treatment outside Tibet. In recent years their has been surge in ancient art of healing methods both locally and internationally. people are returning to traditional medicine like Tibetan medicine and Ayurveda."In the 8th Century AD, under the auspices of the Tibetan king, Trisong Dhetsen, an international conference on medical sciences was organised in Tibet, perhaps the first of its kind in the history of humanity. This significant event was attended by delegates from across Asia, as a result of whose influence, the Tibetan medical system developed an unparalleled degree of sophistication, he added .

"The importance of this system has been recognised by the Government of India. It has passed legislation in the Parliament to bring this rich Tibetan medical tradition into the country's streams of practice, as a distinct medical system,"he said.

"The Tibetan medical system is very close to the heart of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, as one of the treasures of the ancient wisdom culture of Tibet.

He emphatically advises the Tibetan medical institutions to be actively engaged in undertakingresearch and in bringing forth innovative ways of improving upon this ancient system of healing. Such encouragement has led to the tremendous development of Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute's (TMAI) Department of Pharmacy, to create more medicinesand herbal products. "" said Mr. Tashi Tsering Phuri, , Director Development Manager Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharmasala.

The world is today facing severe health challenges, with deleterious impacts on communities and economies. This problem can potentially be overcome with the help of various existing medical systems. While allopathic medicine has an advantage of immediately and effectively treating the external components of diseases, it is traditional medical systems, such as that of Tibet,that propagate a more holistic way of treating patients. Its unique approach that explores the interconnections between the body and mind, and the mental basis of well-being (or its obverse, disease), is increasingly recognised even by allopathic medicine as an integral component of treating patients.